Another Zutara Month
by Yemoya
Summary: I know I'm incredibly late for Zutara Month, but I still wanted to post my stories for the prompts. This will contain serious and not so serious stories. I hope you'll enjoy them!
1. Chapter 1

_Sooo, I know it's already the seventeenth (at least here), but I had exams until recently, so I didn't have time to write something every day, but after the last exam I tried to catch up with Zutara Month, and now I have! But I have to say that writing this at least a little bit after or during studying really kept me from going crazy with worry that I could fail. It helped me to balance, I guess. And I missed writing for my own stories so much! _

_Okay, so, the following content is inspired by Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. It takes place in the same AU as my Christmas story A Zutara Christmas. _

_For those who haven't read that story or watched Miraculous, firstly, you should totally do that, and secondly, I'm going to explain a few things: Katara and Zuko have little spirit companions, who can fuse with them and make them become the superheroes Painted Lady and Blue Spirit. I changed their spirit outfits a bit, so they look more like superheroes. I just thought that fighting in a dress with a large hat and a veil, or a mask that obscures half your vision might not be that practical. Katara and Zuko go to the same school and are friends, but Katara was crushing on him a while ago. They both don't know that they are also their superhero partners. Their enemy is Phoenix King, who wants to steal their powers. And anything else would spoil you. _

_I hope you enjoy reading it!_

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir._

* * *

**Day 1: Blue Spirit / Painted Lady**

"Hey there," a voice just atop of her says.

Smiling she turns around, seeing Blue Spirit making his way towards her casually. He slides down the roof, then crouches down next to her, his arm touching hers.

Katara, currently transformed into Painted Lady, tries to hide her sharp intake of breath. It's not easy to be this close to Blue Spirit.

"H-h, uh, hi," she stammers, and tries not to grimace.

Turning his head towards her, she sees his white lips spread in a smirk, his fangs reflecting the light from the street lamps under them. "Are you okay?" he asks, and manages to make that sound flirty.

Her breath hitches, and her heart beats fast. How can she ever do that? This was a really bad idea. "Yeah, sure. It seems you're in a good mood, too," she says, waiting for an answer.

He frowns slightly, and she lets out a breath. Okay, good, that means he's not so fine. Great.

"Actually... I'm not," he murmurs, and stares ahead onto the other roofs of Ba Sing Se's middle ring.

"Oh. Uh, what happened?" she asks softly, trying to get him to tell her about his worries.

"I broke up with Katara," Blue Spirit says, sounding like a puppy who was kicked out on the street.

Katara blinks. Uh, no he had not!

Blue turns his head to look at her, his eyes wide, cringing at the sight of her facial expression. "Well, we kind of broke up together," he adds.

That makes her sigh, and she feels her dignity is safe.

Katara bites her lip, not knowing how to respond to that. She can't possibly lend him her ear and listen to his heartbreak, when she is suffering from the same. Not that he knows, though.

Hearing him talking about the pain she is feeling about their break up can only end in her revealing her identity, and telling him that she wants to get back together.

"You know how Phoenix King is, and I don't know if I could keep my feelings a secret, if Katara would ever be in danger."

Pressing her lips together, Katara tries hard not to smile. Oh gosh, this is torture! He's so sweet to her without knowing that it's her!

And she can never reveal her identity to him. At least not until Phoenix Kong is defeated.

"I see. That was very honourable of you," she says instead. "I know it hurts, but it is better that way. She could have endangered you."

Blue's head suddenly whips around, and he glares at her. "What? No! I endangered her!"

Katara's eyes widen, and she feels surprised and touched at the same time. That's not what he said to her yesterday, when she was only Katara, but they had agreed that a secret relationship between a super hero alter ego and a normal girl cannot work in the long term.

"Oh. How?"

"If our relationship had somehow been discovered, and Phoenix King would have known, he could have used her against me. Against us, actually, since I would rather give him your necklace than see her hurt or in danger," he admits a bit sheepishly.

Katara raises her eyebrows, not knowing if she should feel flattered or not. Of course, she loves that he fell in love with her civilian form, when she was only a normal girl, but Painted Lady felt very often offended by how Blue seemed to care more about Katara. Which is silly, of course, since she's the same person. But not so long ago, Blue crushed on her Painted Lady form, and not hearing him flirting with her, calling her "Milady", when she was transformed, felt strange, even though she still received flirting and flowers from him, but in her civilian form.

"Hm...," she hums, but starts thinking about it. When she still crushed on Zuko, she did a lot of bad and unintelligent things in order to save him or simply, because she got jealous, after seeing him with Mai. It was very dangerous sometimes, and she regrets deeply, how unfocused she was. But she wouldn't change a thing about it. Zuko is still her friend, and having him safe is more important than some magical powers. "I understand that."

Blue raises an eyebrow. "Is this how you feel about this boy of yours?"

Katara smiles slightly, and shakes her head. "It's more how I felt about him."

Blue blinks, looking surprised.

Some part of Katara wants him to try something, but another part would be deeply offended at that behaviour.

Blue simply grimaces a little. "Didn't work out?"

Katara shrugs. "Not really. I never told him how I felt, and then he got closer to another girl, and I... fell for someone else," she adds, blushing, although he cannot know she's talking about him. She still looks away, though.

"And now you're happy?" Blue probes.

Determined not to talk about her anymore, she shakes her head and stares back at him. "Not important right now. We were talking about your love life! That you're heartbroken, because you cannot be with Katara anymore, because you love her so much!" Well, that was probably a bit too much.

But Blue doesn't deny anything, and Katara's heart almost leaps into her throat.

A sad smile covers Blue's lips, and he sighs. "You got it."

He never actually said he loves her. Not once. Whenever he visited her in the evening, or deep in the night, all those things they said, every time they talked about their feelings for each other, he never said he loved her. But he isn't denying it now. At all.

It takes all of Katara's willpower not to end her transformation by saying "Paint off!" and tackle him with a hug and kisses.

Her stomach clenches as does her chest, and her heart beats so wildly she's surprised she doesn't simply explode from love. Yep, that's what she feels. She loves him. Great that she's realising that now, after they broke up. In the next moment, she only wants to cry.

Maybe she can arrange a film and ice cream night tomorrow with Suki, hoping Sokka won't disturb them, or snatch Suki away to stick his tongue into her mouth. Ew.

"But that's not the end," Blue suddenly says confidently.

Katara turns her head to look at him questioningly. What is he talking about?

Blue Spirit grins his full demonic grin. "If Katara would fall for my civilian self, and I wouldn't reveal my identity to her, we'll still be able to be together!"

A large smile spreads on Katara's face, as her eyes widen. Oh spirits, would he really do that? But, wait... His civilian self?

"Are you sure Katara won't recognise you?" she asks, her eyebrows raised. Then again, he hadn't recognised his super hero partner in his secret girlfriend, too.

That makes him stop, though. "I don't think so. Although, she's really smart. But... I mean, you know that I normally look way more different than that." He points to his face, the blue skin, white eyebrows, and cheekbones and lips, the fangs, and the all black eyes, not showing even a little white.

Katara blinks. Well, yeah. After all, her skin is normally darker, her eyes aren't brown and her hair isn't black. But she's very thankful for the great change in appearance her transformation brings her. With how often she had to be close to people who actually know her that came in handy. That, and she always changed her voice when she was with them.

"Yeah... But I didn't mean your appearance. More your voice, and behaviour. Your whole demeanour. I mean, if you're going to..." Her blush growing fierce, she thinks about the feeling of his hands, and the way he whispered her name, how hungrily and sweetly he kissed her, what noises he made, when she stroked his back... All that are things she can't forget, and she is positive she will recognise him in an instant. "... spend a lot of time with her, won't she notice?"

Blue frowns, but shakes his head again. "I know she won't, but I cannot tell you why."

Now she's the one scowling. "Seriously?"

"It's to protect my identity," he explains evasively. "And you really don't have to worry. I'll just watch Katara for a while, wait until she doesn't feel sad anymore and restart dating. Only after she'll be with someone else will I approach her."

Shit. Katara has to find a boyfriend. Immediately!

"Okay. I'm sure this will work," she smirks, bumping her shoulder into his.

Blue smiles at her, and because of the way this makes her heart melt, she's sure she won't ever fall for anyone, before he will come into her life again.


	2. Chapter 2

_I tried a very different approach with this one... _

_It is definitely an AU, a modern one, and could be set in the same as the one from the last story, althought nothing specifically from Miraculous is mentioned in the following. _

_There are a little bit of adult topics, though, but nothing grave. _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. _

* * *

**Day 2: Momtara / Dadko**

Zuko's scowl intensifies when he hears the door closing. Aha, so she's finally home.

After a few seconds, the trapdoor to her room opens, and she stumbles into the darkness of the room.

Zuko twists his mouth in annoyance, but starts to worry at how she seems to have problems with closing the trapdoor.

"Sssshhhh." Katara raises a finger to her lips, and lets the trapdoor close loudly. "Aw, crap. I said ssssshhhhh."

"Care to tell me what you're doing?" he asks then, and lights the lamp next to her armchair, in which he is sitting. The light falls onto him, hopefully showing her how pissed he is.

"What the- Oh, Zuko!" she screeches, throws her arms up, and walks towards him. With very unstable steps.

Great. She is drunk. Something else he has to snarl at her about.

"Have you got any idea what time it is?" he starts.

Katara makes a face, as if she would think very hard. Then she suddenly grins, and points at her digital alarm clock, the digits shining in a light blue.

"It's three twenty-three am!"

Zuko slowly closes his eyes. It's not easy to scold enthusiastic drunks.

"And when did you tell me you'd be back?"

She thinks again. "Uh... Two am?"

"Yeah. Do you have your phone with you?"

Katara seems to realise that he is not up to have fun, but that this is serious. "Yes? Suki and I made very cute selfies. I sent you some."

Now he has to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, you sent me selfies of you in a club with guys dancing around you, while you were wearing that!" he snarls, gesturing towards her clothes.

If he wouldn't care about Katara, he would downright insult her clothes, but he doesn't think she would take that well.

Katara looks down at herself, then back at him and grins. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she slowly approaches him. Now she can suddenly walk without stumbling. "Don't like what you see?" she asks, as her knees press against his.

He has to look up at her to keep looking her in the eyes, and not where her shorts cut between her legs. He definitely likes what he sees, but that is not the point right now. Besides, she is drunk. He shouldn't take anything coming from her right now as serious.

Just the thought of other guys seeing her like that, thinking about her what he's thinking, it makes his insides burn with rage, and coaxes him into destroying something.

"Th-that d-d-doesn't matter," he stutters, and flinches at how hoarse his voice sounds. That's why he quickly looks to the side. "But I bet these guys in the club liked it. And honestly, that is not enough fabric you're wearing. It's undignified. I cannot believe Hakoda let you out like that!"

Her high waisted shorts definitely show the lower half of her behind and accentuate her wide hips and slender waist. The top she's wearing is practically a bikini top, just made of normal fabric. It only covers her breasts, not even fully, since her decollete does show, but at least she's covered at the sides. The straps are also way too thin in Zuko's opinion.

Hakoda probably didn't know what Katara was wearing, as she left the house. When he thinks about it, Hakoda was still working in the restaurant downstairs, as Katara left. That's why both of them didn't see Katara leaving.

Katara pouts and promptly sits down on his lap.

Oh spirits, no, what is she doing? This is not... He can't...

She grabs his hands and pulls them out of their arms crossed position. "Boys are idiots. It's my body, and I can show it how I want to. Besides, it's just very warm in this club, and Azula told me not to wear much..."

Zuko's frown deepens. Azula? Of course she had something to do with it.

"You could have texted that you're staying longer," he says, but it only carries half the anger he originally felt, when she just didn't come back.

"Sorry. But Zuko?"

He reluctantly looks back at her, and feels his heart beating faster, as he stares into her big blue eyes, which actually look annoyed right now.

"Don't get jealous!" She pokes a finger into his chest.

His cheeks start to burn furiously. "Wh-what? I-I'm not jealous, pft."

That would be silly. Zuko is simply looking out for her, because they are friends. He's thankful they took him in, after his father had been sent to prison. So it is his duty to make sure that Katara is fine and to wait for her, when she's coming home later than she said she would. He won't say anything to Hakoda about it, but he has to deal with it himself.

He pulls his hands back from her grasp and wishes she would stand back up, because if she keeps sitting on his lap, right in front of him, in that outfit, she's going to feel some evidence that he indeed likes what he sees.

Katara pouts a little, and then sighs dramatically. "Well, if you're not jealous, I guess I can walk around like this more often."

His jaw clenches, and his hands form fists at her words.

He should really stop thinking about her in that way. They are just friends, and more importantly thinking like this is dishonouring her and her kindness. He refuses to see her kindness as anything more than that. And her actions now as anything more than those of a drunk girl.

But then a wicked grin spreads on Katara's lips, which he would have never expected, she leans closer, and presses her upper body to his, her hips to his.

His eyes widen, and he takes deep gasps of air.

"Or what do you think?" she purrs into his ear, her hands running up his arms and shoulders.

What he's thinking? Oh, he's thinking a lot of things right now, but he cannot remember what she was talking about. Swallowing he has to keep his lower body from pressing against her.

"I...," is all he says, clenching his fists to stop himself from touching her. She is drunk, she doesn't know what she's doing, and he cannot use that.

"It doesn't matter, really," she says next, her breath touching his sensitive skin under his ear. "I'll wear what I want to. But there is only one person I'll allow to touch."

Zuko's whole body tenses at her words, and he tries to lean back, to give himself some space, but then she grasps his hands and puts them on her hips, pressing her chest closer to his. He has very big trouble not to press himself against her in return.

He was mad at her, wasn't he? And now he just has to forgive her, forget it, simply because he cannot control his body?

But deciding on an answer is not something he has to do now, as he flinches badly, as her hands press against his rips. Grimacing, he hopes she didn't notice it, but she retreats immediately, as she raises her eyebrows in concern.

"What is it?"

"I... Uh, nothing bad, really."

"Zuko?" she probes, one eyebrow back down to show her skepticism.

"I brought the garbage out earlier, and I heard people saying things...," he admits slowly.

He'd rather not talk about the things he's heard. Those people don't know anything, and he should have really ignored them, but that wasn't so easy. His temper just flared, and the next thing he knew was that he shouted at them, and then started punching them, and getting punched in return. His father might be a sociopathic megalomaniac, but at least he always insisted on Zuko taking his martial arts lessons, so dealing with those three idiots wasn't hard.

"Oh, Zuko," Katara immediately says softly and clasps his face in her hands. "Don't listen to those idiots. You know what they say about your father is not true." She starts to stroke his hair, as if she were calming an animal, but it oddly always helps.

"They didn't say things about my dad. They said ugly things about you. About us, because... Because I live here," he rasps, biting his lip, as the frustration comes back. Hearing them saying those things, and then seeing what she was wearing while being out was just too much for tonight.

"I'm sorry," Katara whispers, and leans forward to hug him. She pulls his head down and continues to stroke his hair.

Zuko immediately turns his head to the side so that his face is not right between her breasts. Only his cheek. He thinks she might not grasp all the strangeness of this situation in her state, but he doesn't object much. He can hear her heart beating, and her soft, warm skin is under his cheek, while he... No, unfortunately, he cannot smell her shower gel, but instead alcohol and smoke. But that doesn't matter much.

"I fought against them, when I heard them," he says.

"Yeah. I thought as much." Pulling back, she stems her hands on her hips and raises her eyebrows. "Now take off your shirt, so I can look at your injury."

"It's just a bruise," he murmurs.

"Zuko."

"A black and blue mark."

"Zuko!"

"You're drunk, you cannot do... Ow!"

Her look turns stern, as she clicks her tongue. "Uh-huh," she murmurs, and pulls up his shirt, since he won't do it.

After slightly pressing against his rips, she's finally convinced that he is not hurt beyond a bruise, but still smudges cream from the sink in the corner of her room against his skin. It is painfully cold, and he hisses.

"There. All done. It's good it's just a bruise."

"That's what I've been saying," Zuko growls, and she clicks her tongue again. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, after pulling his shirt back down, he looks off to the side again.

"Say 'thank you, Katara'."

"Thank you, Katara," he grumbles, but lets her guide his face back to her.

He feels surprised, when she presses her face to his, her nose into his cheek, before she sighs tiredly.

"Zuko," she murmurs, and he tenses again, trying to prepare for maybe another attempt at close body connection.

But after a few seconds he can clearly hear her snoring softly.

He doesn't know if he should be relieved or disappointed, as he stands, his arms firmly wrapped around her, and carries her to her bed.

It will be hard to ignore what has happened tonight. With his luck she won't even remember it tomorrow morning, and he will be left craving, wishing, wanting more.

Sighing, he steps back, and watches her calm and relaxed face. Someone like her wouldn't even want him in that way.

So maybe he should hope that she won't remember anything in the morning. Yeah, he'll do that. It will be better this way. Anything else would only complicate their friendship, and make him fall into disfavour with her family.

But deep down, he's still wishing.


	3. Chapter 3

_This is set after the comic The Promise about something that always made me angry. _

* * *

**Day 3: Season 4 Zutara**

Biting her lip, she tries to calm her nerves as she raises her hand to knock on the door.

"Come in!" Zuko's voice sounds from within the study, and Katara reaches for the door knob.

Opening the door, she hesitantly sticks her head into the room. "Hi?"

"Katara!" Zuko sat behind his desk, but now he immediately stands up, and walks over to her. He seems a little nervous to her, and still doesn't look totally healthy. His cheeks still seem too hollow, the shadows under his eyes are still too dark, and she can tell that his wrists look too thin, too. Maybe he should have rested longer at his Uncle's, before coming back to Yu Dao.

"Do you have a minute?" she asks quietly. It won't be bad if he doesn't have time. She can come back another time. The problem is just that she might not have the courage to come back another time.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?" he says instead, clasping his hands behind his back, looking slightly intrigued.

Swallowing, she fully enters the study, and closes the door behind her. She grabs the elbow of her other arm, and looks anywhere but him. "I just... I wanted to apologise."

"For what?"

She looks back at him, sees the frown on his face, and realises he has no clue what she's talking about.

"For... not doing more. I stopped Aang, because he would have regretted it later, but you also didn't deserve it, and at first, I really thought you wanted to keep the colonies for yourself, and that somehow your power as Fire Lord has corrupted you, and that you went into the direction your father went into, and I should have known that you would never do that, and that you would have never wanted the colonies for your nation alone, because you worked so hard on restoring the Fire Nation's honour, and I am so, so, so sorry!" After having said everything, she takes a deep breath of air, and looks up at him, worrying that he might not forgive her.

His frown of confusion has only become worse. "Katara... You don't have to apologise for that. It's understandable."

She blinks once, then twice, when she notices that he's serious. "No, it's not! You're my friend, and I immediately thought the worst of you! That is unacceptable!" To emphasise her point she makes a cutting motion with her hand.

Zuko shakes his head. "I've already done bad things, so it's not strange to assume I'd do them again."

"But you won't!"

He shakes his head again. "No, I won't, but you couldn't know that, so everything is really okay."

"I cannot believe you're taking this so lightly!" Stemming her hands on her hips, she doesn't know how else to confront him about his obviously way too low self esteem.

"What do you mean?" he just asks, but sounding a bit annoyed now, too.

Everything she's been thinking and worrying about in the past few days comes back with a crashing power, and her lips start to tremble. She doesn't know, if she's about to cry, because she's still so mad at herself, or because her friend thinks so lowly of himself.

"I know what you've been through," she starts, and takes a deep breath to continue to speak. "You confided in me, and I know more about you than any of the others. I know how your childhood was, I know why and how you were banished, I know exactly what your father all did to you, how you were treated, and how much you sacrificed just to end the war." Tears start streaming down her face. "I know how good you are," she keeps on saying, even as his upset face becomes blurry. "I know it, really, I do! I know how much happened between you and your father, and that you never want to become like him. I know how important honour is to you, and that you only want to do the right thing. I know all that, okay?" In a frustrated manner, she throws her arms up, and looks somewhere else.

Blinking the tears away, she looks back at him, who seems not to be comfortable with a crying girl in front of him. But she doesn't care. She has to say her piece.

"And yet... And yet I was able to assume you had become like him. I was ready to believe that you might be our next enemy. And yes, you once had been, but that is not important to me, at all. You changed, and I forgave you, so the bad things you've done don't exist to me anymore. So, I was okay with my friend suddenly having turned evil, and my boyfriend having to kill him," she sobs. After this sentence more tears seem to come.

"And I don't know how I could have done that, I have no idea, and all I know is that I should have pushed Aang harder, because if he had not miraculously had a change of heart, you would be dead, and it would have been my fault, too." Through the tears, she takes a deep breath again. "So I'm sorry for thinking badly of you, and I'm sorry for not trying to protect you more. I... I know I healed the wound Azula inflicted, but that's not the same as jumping in front of lightning, and my debt is definitely not repayed, because healing is natural, it is a duty, and..." She doesn't notice how she's leaving the topic, and starting to ramble. "... I wouldn't have hold it as a debt, and I'm sorry for not repaying the debt. I should have jumped in front of you." She takes a deep breath again, also to clear her nose and thinks of what to say next, but to her relief nothing comes to her mind.

When she looks back at Zuko, he's staring at her with an odd look on his face, his eyes incredibly wide, even the burned one seems to be as wide as his healthy one usually is. Red colour is also spread on his pale cheeks, and the rest of his face seems even paler than normal.

He looks a bit sick, tired, and exhausted. More like a little boy than the head of a state.

"I... I don't know what to say," he manages to say, after many seconds have passed.

Katara wipes her tears away and sniffs. "It's okay. I just want you to consider yourself more important and more worthy of your friend's trust, because you do deserve it, and the way we treated you is unforgivable. But please, find it in your heart to forgive us, so that we can make it up to you, and prove that we're worthy of your friendship." She smiles up at him, and sees how his eyes grow even wider at her words, and his mouth opens, but no words come out.

He makes a few noises in his throat, as if he wanted to say something, but nothing is coming out.

Katara is glad that she was able to say all of that to him, and she hopes he won't get mad later, after he will realise how right she is. So she uses the opportunity and gives him a tight hug, squeezing his waist, as she presses her cheek to his chest. Wow, that Fire Lord fabric is damn soft.

"I... I'm sorry for hurting you," he rasps, as she feels his arms coming around her, pressing her closer to him.

Frowning, she looks up at him. "What do you mean?"

He losens the grip on her waist a little so that more space is between them. "When you attacked my soldiers, I stopped you and hurt you in the process. I'm sorry."

She smiles up at him. "Don't worry about that. Just think about letting your friends know when you're going through tough times." She pulls back even more, and pokes her finger in his chest. "And get more sleep, and eat more!"

He smiles sheepishly, showing his teeth in the bad imitation of a reassuring smile.

Rolling her eyes, she presses her cheek again against his chest, hugging him just for a bit longer, before he will understand how badly she treated him, and before he can hate her.


	4. Chapter 4

_This one is set in the Miraculous inspired AU, too. It could happen right after the story from day 1, since Katara still feels sad about the break up with Blue Spirit. At least, the first part could. The second part would happen a few weeks later. _

_For those who don't know Miraculous, the villain uses butterflies to deliver evil superpowers to people who feel strong negative emotions. They get under his control, and he can use them to fight against the superheroes, without having to do anything himself. Since the villain here is called Phoenix King, I chose to make it a feather instead of a butterfly for the story. _

* * *

**Day 4: Please don't hurt her / him**

It's not difficult to notice the change in her.

She doesn't smile as often as she used to, and when she does, it is full of sadness.

Zuko's heart constricts every time, and he hates to see her like this. He wishes he could beat the guy up, who had hurt her like that.

The only problem is that this guy is himself.

Katara doesn't know that he's Blue Spirit, so she also doesn't know that he's still with her. He always thought breaking up would hurt, but it would be okay, since Zuko is a friend of Katara's. He can see her every day at school. Only Blue Spirit cannot see her again, since he broke up with her.

Zuko tries his best to make Katara happy. He smiles at her, every time he sees her, and he asks her every time what's on her mind. She never tells him it's about a boy. She makes excuses with studying and her family. Zuko even brings her her favourite treats, and once during lunch break, sneaks out to get her favourite smoothie. The smile she directs at him is radiant, every time, and he always wants to kiss her.

But it seems like it's not enough. Weeks pass, and no matter how nice he is to her, how thoughtful and caring, he always catches her with this wistful, sad look on her face. She often looks out of the window, and he knows she's waiting, hoping to catch a glance of Blue Spirit running on top of the roofs.

Then Azula uses Katara's sadness and unsureness against her and says awful, cruel things.

Zuha never felt the urge to punch a girl, but he considers to make an exception. He's afraid of the hurt Katara will feel, and stomps towards Azula, yelling that she should stop. He's furious, and doesn't understand why no one else in this class tried to defend Katara.

That's probably not fair. Suki, Sokka, and Toph tried their best, but Azula just turned their words around, hurting Katara more and more. Aang tried to talk Azula down, but once she finds a victim she doesn't let go.

Zuko was too late. Katara's eyes are already watering, her cheeks red, and she looks hurt and angry at the same time. Before anyone else can say something, she turns around and makes a run for it.

Without hesitating, Zuko follows her, knowing the danger of being alone in such a state.

His concern is confirmed, when he sees the large black feather soaring down to where Katara sits under a plum tree in the courtyard.

She has pulled her knees up, her arms wrapped around then. The Houhane is only a few metres away.

Phoenix King can send those feathers to people who feel negative emotions, and make them his subordinates. When those people are released from the influence, they are mostly traumatised for life. Zuko cannot let this happen to Katara.

Risking everything, Zuko only ducks under a bench, yells "Buryu, swords out!", and sprints towards Katara with all the speed he has gained from his transformation into Blue Spirit.

Unsheathing his swords, he jumps and slashes the feather in half. It's colour returns to orange and red, when it soars harmlessly to the ground, right in front of Katara's feet.

She looks up at him, wide eyed, and with a slack jaw. She looks shocked.

Zuko takes deep breaths to calm himself and sheathes his swords. "Don't let them get to you. Don't give into negative emotions."

Her mouth opens a bit, and she nods.

He smiles at her, knowing that his smile is sad, too.

**oOo**

Sokka just killed Zuko.

Katara is slightly irritated by her brother's behaviour. Bragging and pointing out how he killed the Fire Lord is no appropriate behaviour after a victory.

She thinks she has to put Sokka in his place. So she quickly dresses as warrior and attacks him.

He is no match for her, and he knows it. He keeps complaining and groaning, while she's beating him up. She uses everything, her water, weapons, and her bare fists and feet to kick him, while he is lying on the ground.

Out of the corner of the room she thinks that Zuko is watching them, so with new resolve, determined to avenge her friend, she lastly pushes an ice dagger through Sokka's chest.

"No fair!" he wails, and throws the controller next to him on the couch.

While Zuko pretends not to pay attention, hiding behind a book, Katara knows he is, so she just casually puts her controller on the table in front of the couch, leans back and smirks. "Sorry, Sokka. This is Team Fire Lord and Water Princess," she points onto the screen, where her revenge brought Zuko's character back to life. They cheer.

Sokka growls a bit, as he stands abruptly, and points at them both. "You are both traitors. I will not accept this sort of behaviour!"

Zuko lowers his book. "What are you talking about?"

"You were my best friend first! And now you team up against me with my little sister?" he accuses, and Zuko's cheeks dust a little with pink.

Katara's eyes widen, then she blinks, but the colour ist still there. "Well, I am the better player, so it makes sense. We don't team up against you in every aspect of your life!" she huffs, stands and walks towards the door.

"Katara!"

Her stomach clenches nervously, as she turns around to look at Zuko.

He smiles. "Thanks for avenging me." His smile lights up his whole face, as usual, and his golden eyes seem to shine like the sun at her, because she feels so warm under his gaze.

Something flutters in her stomach, and she knows exactly what it is.

"No process. Uh, I mean progress, no! Problem. No problem," she stutters, as her stomach catches fire, and her heart seems to beat out of her throat.

Oh no.


	5. Chapter 5

_This is also an AU, it could be the Miraculous inspired one, but nothing in the following hints at that. _

* * *

**Day 5: Southern Water Tribe**

Katara's laughter is swept away by the wind, carried wide across the snowy fields and hills.

The snow under her feet is old, already hardened, so running is relatively easy. Even though she grew up running through fresh, soft snow, laying fifty centimetres over the ground, she hasn't done it for ages.

Since she was eight years old, she has lived in Ba Sing Se, and barely visited the Southern Water Province. So she wasn't used to the cold and all this fur anymore. But nonetheless, she loved it right from the beginning of coming back.

Her boyfriend seems to have a different opinion. He doesn't laugh, and Katara can hear him closing in.

A smile tugs on her lips, but she's not ready to be caught yet, so she slips to the side, using the hardened snow to glide two metres away.

Zuko stumbles, but can catch his balance in time. His eyes are narrowed at her, and his jaw clenched, but she can see that his anger is only part of the game.

So with a wide grin she runs further into the icy tundra.

After she slipped out of Zuko's reach for a few more times, and got him growling in frustration, she finally has enough, and decides she will let him catch her next time.

Just in that moment, a hand grabs her wrist, she is pushed to the ground, shrieks, and then feels snow being pushed into her parka.

Zuko is on top of her, getting his revenge.

"Garr!" Trying to slip out under him, Katara is shaking, and has to admit that no matter how much she likes the cold and the snow, having it in her parka, dropping down her back isn't comfortable at all.

"Now you regret making fun of me," Zuko growls.

"I didn't make fun of you," Katara protests, still wiggling.

"Ah, so teasing me about getting cold so easily and shoving snow down my neck is not making fun?"

She presses her lips together and maybe feels a little bit bad. "No, that was teasing and having fun. I would never..."

In that moment snow is shoved into her face.

"Aaaaaarrrgghhh! Ew! Urgh! Idiot!" Katara shakes her head to make the snow go away, but it only falls into her hood, and she has some in her mouth and nose, too.

Zuko shudders with laughter, and she sticks her tongue out at him.

He uses the moment to kiss her, though, and she articulates a soft sound of surprise. His lips are passionate on hers, and she wishes there wouldn't have to be all these layers of clothes between them.

As if reading her thoughts, Zuko leans back and murmurs "You should really get out of this. With the snow in, you could catch a cold."

Katara raises one eyebrow. "Same for you. And we should probably get back to the village, before getting out of our parkas."

Zuko blinks, staring into her eyes, as red colour blooms on his cheeks. "Y-yeah," he stammers. "I meant that." Then he pushes himself up to stand again.

Chuckling, Katara reaches for the hand he holds out to her, and lets herself be pulled up.


	6. Chapter 6

_Modern AU, could be the Miraculous one, but there's no hint at that. _

* * *

**Day 6: Power Couple**

"Come on, it'll be fun!" she said. "It won't take long," she said.

It is not fun, and it definitely already has taken too long.

"Don't give me that look, Zuko!" Sokka complains, gesturing around with the camera in his hand.

Zuko's scowl deepens.

Katara squeezes his side, which makes him look at her. Her smile is sweet and hopeful. She smiles like that, when she hopes to get what she wants. "Pleeeaaase! Just one wide toothy smile!"

His nostrils flare.

Posing for pictures in ridiculous poses is apparently not enough. Now he has to smile with his teeth?

"I just don't like faking a smile!" he grumbles, and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"Zuko! Come one," Aang urges. "It's graduation! It's a reason to celebrate, and it goes for you, too, Mister Kasaishi Zuko Sir!"

"Yeah, no more grades, no more lessons, no more getting up early," Sokka counts off his fingers, grinning.

"I know," Zuko says, feeling tired. His friends are a lot.

Katara presses closer to his side. "Just one! Please! Believe me, I won't forget that you're not a smily person, even when I will look at this picture in sixty years! I'll still think 'Aw, he's smiling there, even though he was always so grumpy, and just because I asked him nicely, and he was such a nice boyfriend to do what I wanted'!" she grits the last bit out between her teeth.

That's when he actually smiles with his teeth, painfully and forced, trying to look sorry.

Sokka immediately uses that moment and makes pictures from every angle, until Zuko has enough, and barks at him to stop.

Katara squeezes his side again, this time it hurts.

"Please," he adds to Sokka, who presses the camera to his chest and pouts.

"But I still have one pose in mind!"

"Grr!"

"Great, which one is it?" Katara chimes.

Why does he have to like these people? Why is his girlfriend always dragging him into situations he hates?

"I actually liked Zuko's murder look before, could you do that, too, Katara?" Sokka said, pointing a finger at her.

Zuko raises his eyebrows, and his eyes widen in surprise. Really? Is Sokka serious?

"What?" Katara dead pans, and Zuko fights the urge to grin.

"Yes, really. But put some arrogance into it. I want you two to look like special agents or assassinates or something like that," Sokka goes on.

Katara turns her head up to Zuko who tries to tell her with his eyes that they have to get out of here.

Uncle Iroh was already embarrassing enough with the pictures earlier, but this is ridiculous.

Katara shrugs. "It's probably going to be fun. And you don't have to do much."

He scrunches his nose. "Are you saying that I look like an arrogant murderer?"

A grin spreads on her lips. "No, of course not. Just arrogant and annoyed right now."

He narrows his eyes at her.

"Zuko, give _me_ that look! It's wasted on Katara!" Sokka orders, and Zuko immediately raises his head and glares at his best friend.

"Yeah, exactly like that! Chin higher!"

Zuko tries hard not to sigh, and instead takes deep calming breaths. He knows he's not a calm person, but he's been very on edge today. With his father soon standing another trial, it is all pretty much, and he still doesn't know what to do after school.

But it is graduation, and his friends are happy. So he gives in to their silly demands.

"I want you back to back."

They cross their arms, and stare into the camera, their backs touching.

Maybe he'll be happy later to have these pictures of Katara and him. They probably look very adult together in her long blue dress and his smoking.

They stand shoulder on shoulder, but slightly turned away from the camera, as Zuko puts a hand on his bow tie to loosen it a bit, while raising an eyebrow at the camera.

"Oh, this is great!" Sokka gushes. "You just look like Mr. and Mrs. Smith! So powerful! Come on, give me your powerful "we-can-crush-you-like-bugs-face"!"

Zuko tries to look like Azula sometimes does, and it obviously works, since Sokka can't stop telling them how great this is.

"Sokka, you're a genius!" Aang says, crosses his arms and smiles.

Zuko looks at him, wide eyed. Please don't make this go longer!

"Oh, yeah, that totally looks like they could rule the world!" Toph says, who is standing next to Aang and smirks.

Zuko has to smirk at that, too. He knows exactly what's coming.

"Why, thank you, Toph, but I'M NOT FALLING FOR YOUR TRICKS ANYMORE!" This distracts Sokka, who throws himself into a verbal fight with Toph about his intelligence and honour.

Katara chuckles next to him, and he smiles down at her, pulling her closer to lean down.

He whispers into her ear. "I think Toph is right, because you do rule my world."

Katara tries to fight a smile, he can see it, and finds it adorable, as she smirks instead. "And don't you ever forget that!"

Smirking back, he quickly presses his lips to hers. "I couldn't, even if I wanted to."


	7. Chapter 7

**Day 7: Soulmates**

Before his death, there were a few things he still wanted to do. Travelling to the South Pole to see his old friend was one of them.

Upon Lord Zuko's arrival down there, he was met with worrying gazes, and no one seemed to want to look him in the eye. That was until Senna told him that Katara was ill, and didn't have long to live anymore. No healer could have done something.

Although his bones were old and used, he sprinted the path to her house as fast as he could.

"Lord Zuko!" Senna called, but he didn't care.

Storming into Katara's house, he noticed Pema and Jinora sitting in the living room. Both rose quickly from the sofa. "Lord Zuko!" they greeted, bowing.

He walked closer to them, out of breath, and with aching muscles and bones. "Is it true? Katara is ill?"

Pema laid a hand on Jinora's shoulder. "Yes. Tenzin and his siblings are with her in her room."

Zuko's heart constricted painfully, and he clenched his hands to fists. Why was this happening?

Pema took his arm, and lead him up the stairs. He walked in a stalking way, feeling stiff with fear.

"Please, go in. She'll be happy to see you again," Pema said, and squeezed his arms shortly.

Zuko blinked at her, feeling surprised, but nodded, trying to smile.

He knocked and opened the door.

Katara was lying in her bed, blankets up to her chest, and her children sat next to her on chairs.

Bumi was the first to notice him, and smiled immediately. He stood up to let Zuko see Katara's face.

Her eyes were closed, and she looked peaceful, as if she were asleep. For a moment he feared, she wouldn't be alive anymore, but the soft rising of her chest reassured him quickly.

Slowly, he stepped closer to them.

"Do you want some time alone with her?" Kya asked, her voice sounding compassionate and soft.

Zuko smiled. "No, it's okay. I didn't want to intrude. You have little time left with her and..."

"Zuko?" a raspy voice sounded.

He stared at Katara, whose eyes were open, slightly milky, but her gaze still settled on him.

"Are you here?"

"Yes."

Kya stood up, and made space for him to step closer. He looked uncertainly at her and her brothers, but they all just smiled at him.

Zuko sat down on the edge of the bed and took Katara's hand in his. "Hi," he said, swallowing.

"Lord Zuko?" Tenzin asked, and made Zuko turn around and frown at him.

"Tenzin, you silly boy. How often does he have to tell you just to call him Zuko?" Katara scolded, chuckling.

Tenzin's cheeks went a bit red, but he smiled at his mother. "My apologies. Zuko. We'll leave you alone for a few minutes."

"If anything happens, call me!" Kya said sternly, and reminded him a lot of Katara herself.

Smiling he nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you."

When they were gone, Katara squeezed his hand slightly.

"It's good to see you," she said. "Why are you here?"

Wrapping his hands more firmly around hers, he smiled at her beautiful, blue eyes. "I came to see you. I didn't know you were ill. I was just informed."

"Oh," her voice seemed weak. "That is nice of you. I wish I had the strength to see all my friends one last time, before leaving. Thank you that you came to me."

"Anytime." He stroked her hand with his thumb, and smiled as he realised that he didn't feel any awkwardness or shyness about what he was going to say next. They were old, they had seen so much, so many lives and they understood more than they used to. "I came here to tell you something. We're old, and I thought that I should tell you, before I'm going to die."

She raised her eyebrows slightly in question, and then pushed herself up her pillow a bit. "What is it?"

"I love you, Katara. I have for a very, very long time."

She didn't look shocked, not even very much surprised. Only her soft smile appeared on her lips. "I know. I love you, too."

Zuko didn't ask what love she was talking about. If she was referring to their friendship or something deeper, but he didn't really care that much. Hearing those words, knowing he had some kind of love from her was enough now. His heart had seldom felt warmer, and the bond between his and Katara's soul didn't only feel stronger. It was glowing so brightly that he thought she had to notice it, too.

**oOo**

The next time Zuko feels such a thing is already in his next life, so he doesn't know about the last time.

Zuko is in a life that is quite similar to the last one he had. There are a few differences, of course, the most striking one probably the personality of his father.

Zuko's father is a good and just man. He seeks to help those who cannot help themselves, and he is very generous. He is a kind and compassionate man, and he loves all his children equally with the power of a thousand suns. He loves tea and peace.

Zuko feels safe with his father and knows that his father would rather die than letting any harm come to him.

Another difference would be Zuko's sister. He has two, this time. Two little sisters and one little brother. They can be annoying, sure, but they look up to Zuko, and Zuko would rather die than letting any harm come to them. When he grew up, he felt very protective of them, from the moment they were in his mother's belly.

His mother also raised him a bit differently. Of course, they have a strong bond, but his mother loves all of her children equally with the power of a thousand suns.

And because Zuko has been raised so differently from his last life, his character also changed.

He has become a confident young man, always being encouraged and praised by his father for his fighting skills, by his mother for his strategising, and by any old lady for his looks. He didn't want to believe them, at first, but when he hit puberty, he noticed how some girls at school would blush or giggle in his presence. His friends were jealous and liked to say that they were only searching for a rich guy to marry. And Zuko didn't care.

After the first girl managed to get his attention, he noticed that none of them were actually thinking about marriage yet, and he was pretty thankful for that. Zuko was still young, he wanted to have fun and be free for a while. His future has already too many rules.

Sometimes Zuko behaves like an arrogant jerk, having been spoiled and turned a bit into a snob. It is worse than in his last life.

Awkwardness doesn't overcome him in the social field. He knows how to treat friends, how to joke around.

And that's where the differences to his last life end.

Zuko's father is again a powerful firebender. He's also still Prince of the Fire Nation, although Crown Prince, this time.

Zuko's mother is again a descendant of an Avatar, General Bumi's daughter to be precise.

Zuko grew up in the same places than in his last life, and they spent the summers on Ember Island, sometimes meeting his aunt and uncle.

Zuko can't lie. He's not a good manipulator. He is mostly serious, and relaxing is difficult for him. His friends again help him to do so.

He has a dragon, although Trun is still a baby.

He has a temper. It's probably worse, though, due to his spoiled childhood.

And his name is Zuko. His father, Iroh II, thought it was nice to name his first born son after his beloved grandfather, and Zuko thinks he has to live up to this legacy. Which, of course, is impossible, if not a new war arises, but every world leader fights hard to maintain peace.

One hundred years after the end of the hundred year war, there is a peace summit held in Republic City. It's the place in which all benders and non-benders of every element can live peacefully and in harmony together. It's the place which was created by Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko, two heroes of the hundred year war.

All heads of state are invited, high-ranking military officers, owners of factories which have worked hard to achieve peace, Avatar Korra and the heroes on her side, and all the descendants of the war heroes.

So Zuko is here for two reasons. His grandmother Izumi is a head of state and wanted to take Iroh and Zuko with her, and he's a descendant of a war hero. But since his mother is General Bumi's daughter, it makes all of them descendants of war heroes, which is why Zuko's whole family came along. It's quite annoying.

He doesn't know anyone here, and he'd rather talk to the cute girls serving champagne. He already has his third glass (and the third girl), as Akaya pulls at his sleeve.

Frowning, he turns around to look at his youngest sister. "What is it?"

"Daddy said he'll introduce us to all the cool people here. The war heroes's descendants and Avatar Korra!" Akaya shrieks, grabs his hand and pulls him towards their father.

The large golden hall is full with elegantly dressed people, jewels reflecting the light of the chandeliers here and there, and the floor is so clean that the whole scenery is mirrored in it.

"Akaya, wait! I don't want to meet these people!" he hisses, hoping no one will hear it.

Akaya stops and turns around, looking at him with wide eyes and her lower lip shoved forward. "Why not?"

Oh spirits help him against the cuteness of his sister.

"Well, I was just talking to a young, nice lady...," he turns his head to look at the spot he had left the waitress. She's gone. Zuko groans. "Okay, nevermind. I'll come with you."

"Yaayyyy!" Akaya grins and leads him further into the room.

Iroh seems a bit irritated, as they finally arrive. "Zuko! Where have you been?"

"Making conversation."

Iroh frowns at him, and Zuko cringes inwardly. His father has this ability to look deep into his soul and know exactly what's going through his mind.

"Great that you're finally here!" his mother says then, and pushes him a bit forward. "I was just talking to my father and aunt."

Zuko's gaze wanders to the old people his mother pushes him to, and he immediately bows in greeting. "General Bumi. Master Kya. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Pft! What are you doing with this child, Lei?!" Kya scoldes his mother, chuckling, and before Zuko knows what's going on, he's pulled into a hug. "Silly boy. You're family. And family hugs!" Aunt Kya says, as she squeezes even a bit tighter.

Zuko hugs her back and tries not to smile. He's twenty-one, and he's still referred to as a boy?

"Wow, you've grown so much!" Bumi says when Kya lets him go, and pulls him into a hug, too. Out of the corner of his mouth he can see that Akaya is now hugged by Kya. Akaya grins and hugs her great aunt with all the strength her little arms can master.

Zuko feels like he's squashed, and all the air leaves his lungs.

"Yeah, thanks, grandpa!"

After Bumi lets him go, they all go on together to meet other descendants.

Iroh seems to know all of them quite well, Zuko cannot help but notice. He wonders if that will be expected of him, too.

Meeting Toph Beifong's descendants is... quite interesting. There are four crying children, three annoyed teenagers and five exhausted adults, four with their partners.

Opal's husband is Bolin, one of the heroes who fought alongside Avatar Korra. He's very funny and manages to calm his children down very fast.

Avatar Aang's and Master Katara's descendants are a bit strange, too. Some of them are very calm and focused, friendly and glare at the others, who are joking all the time, talking too loudly, and move too much around.

Meelo's five children are all performing something like a dance, all the while shouting loudly.

Ikki is just pregnant, and her husband doesn't stop doting on her, until she gets very red in her face and starts yelling at him.

Their oldest sister Jinora only rolls her eyes and sighs. Her daughter is behaving properly.

And here Zuko thought his family was crazy.

Kyoshi Warrior Suki's descendants seem to be the most normal people around here. They are funny, polite, kind and respectful.

Zuko feels relieved and wonders how crazy all their ancestors must have been, and how they could have possibly won the hundred year war. Although, he heard that his ancestors were pretty much fine. At least, Fire Lord Zuko was not crazy like _his_ ancestors. Avatar Aang had a reputation for coming up with bizarre things, and Master Katara had a reputation for a very quick temper.

Maybe it isTenzin's fault. After all, Bumi's descendants are perfectly fine.

"The first normal people here, I can't believe it!" Zuko's eldest younger sister Yukira groans, after they bid goodbye to Suki's descendants.

Zuko grins at her words, but hopes the tour is over.

"Are there any descendants left?" he asks his father, trying to sound patient.

"I haven't introduced you to Avatar Korra yet," Iroh answers.

"But I already met her, like four times!"

"And you would do good to meet her again. There are a lot of things you could learn from her!"

Zuko gives his father a flat stare, but accompanies his family to Avatar Korra and her wife Asami.

Korra compliments him on being grown and handsome (and he doesn't flush, that's a confident grin!), then messes a bit with his siblings, fascinating Akaya and Runoko with water bending.

That's when Zuko feels it again for the first time.

Talking to one of the older teenage Beifong descendants, just behind Avatar Korra, is a girl.

A girl whose sight seems to burn his insides. It seems like he can feel any of her movements, like he knows what she's saying, although he can't hear it, and as if something warm and glowing inside of her tugs him closer.

"Excuse me for a second," he murmurs, and steps around his family and the Avatar to reach the brunette girl.

Damn, what was that Beifong's name again?

Ti-, no, Ty-, Ty Do!

"Hey, Ty Do. Wanna introduce me?" he asks and tries to seem casual.

Ty Do gives him a friendly look, and turns towards the girl.

Now Zuko can see her face and he feels struck by its... He doesn't even know what is is.

Her eyes are as blue as the ocean, her skin like mokka coffee with chocolate accents in her eyebrows. She has large almond shaped eyes, a small button nose, broad cheekbones and a red lower lip, contesting to the light brown of her upper lip.

"Sorry, but we were just talking about something pretty important, and you just interrupted us!" the girl says critically.

Zuko blinks and feels his heart beating faster. "Uh, I, uh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to, uh..." What the magma is going on? Why can't he articulate a normal sentence?

Besides, he can't say he wanted to know who she is, because he feels like she must be important to him.

And how can she talk to him like that? Doesn't she know who _he _is?

"Just... Who are you?" he asks then.

She narrows her eyes a little bit. "We can talk about that, after I'm done talking to Ty Do! Like I said, you interrupted us!"

Zuko swallows.

Why isn't he snarling at her for being so disrespectful? Why isn't he angry at her? Why does it feel like his soul is glowing, longing and knowing something he cannot comprehend?

"A-alright. I'll just... wait then," he says dumbly, feeling still taken aback.

Ty Do's jaw goes slack.

The girl, no, young woman turns away from him to the green eyed man and starts smiling, when she again whips her head around to him.

Zuko's heart almost stumbles in its beat.

"Could you please wait a few more steps away? We're not talking about something that is for everyone's ears," she asks, suddenly smiling sweetly, as if she hadn't looked at him like some piece of dirt before.

Her smile transforms her whole face, makes it soft and kind. He's reminded of a gentle swim in the ocean in summer, just lying on his back.

Getting a grip, Zuko quickly shakes his head a bit, then crosses his arms and smirks. "Sure, if you tell me your name, young lady."

Her smile disappears slowly, and the waves get bigger, as he can see the storm coming.

It doesn't stop him from smiling.

Her eyebrow twitches slightly in an irritated way. "I don't think so. Wait until I'm finished, or you won't find out."

"Then I guess I've got to keep calling you 'young lady'," Zuko answers, feeling in his gut that this woman will hate that.

She does. The storm rages on. "You just lost the right to know my name in any case, you know. Even if you would wait until we're done!"

"We can also probably later..." Ty Do starts with a nervous smile, as the woman shoots him a glare. He shuts up.

Zuko's grin grows wider, and he lowers his gaze a bit on the woman, looking where the blue fabric of her dress ends to reveal her décolleté. "That's a shame. Well, bye-bye, nameless young lady!"

Still grinning, he bows to say goodbye, but also out of mockery a bit.

The woman looks almost comically outrageous now, which actually is pretty funny and cute. Her hands are curled to fists, her face is completely red, and her nose very scrunched.

"Bye, Ty Do," he says to the other man, and turns around, heading to the bar.

Hm, that didn't go like he wanted it to. He shouldn't have provoked her, but the way she reacted just asked for it. Sighing, he wonders if he should try again later or even apologise.

Wait, didn't he already say 'sorry' for interrupting?

A scowl appears on his face, as he feels anger rise up inside of him. He did apologise, and she kept behaving like he was an impolite peasant!

What was with that woman?

Maybe she had her period.

_Or she simply didn't want to talk to you. _

Zuko almost crashes into someone else.

No! She would have talked to him, he's certain. No girl has ever not wanted to talk to him.

_But they all knew that you're a prince_, a voice whispers inside of him.

Two glasses of fire whiskey later, he feels confident and attractive again. Sighing in content, he leans against the rest of his stool and tries to ignore this aching, cold feeling he had since he walked away from the blue eyed woman.

She was definitely from the Water Tribe, but is she native to Republic City or to a Water Tribe?

He knows she is no daughter of one of the chiefs, he knows their families, but maybe part of their government?

Or her parents are important people here in Republic City?

Urgh, why is he still thinking about her?

Scowling he turns around to try and find another beautiful woman, who he can talk to, perhaps even have some fun with later.

That's when he notices the bartender in front of him is a young woman. Beautiful, and she keeps throwing glances at him.

He stops a grin from spreading on his lips, as he ponders what to order next. He cannot get that drunk, or he won't know what he's telling her.

"It's Katara," a confident voice says behind him.

The voice comes from too close to his ear, so he knows the person is talking to him.

Somehow, only her voice manages to ignite this strange fire inside of him again.

He only turns his head so wide that he can see her.

Her hands are still curled into fists, and she bites down on her lower lip, her gaze is still fierce. But she followed him.

"Katara?" he repeats. "After Master Katara?"

The woman nods. "Yes, I'm the great-granddaughter of Chief Sokka."

His eyebrows shoot up.

Oh shit, how related are they?

Sokka and Katara were siblings, both their great-grand-parents... Hm, that's still okay. There are three generations in between.

"What's your name?" Katara wants to know.

Zuko stands up to stand closely in front of her. Being this close to her, it feels like there's... and that sounds silly, but Zuko can feel it! There's a bond between their souls! And it's glowing with warm light!

Or he is drunker than he thought. Maybe it's just normal chemistry. Either way, he will so explore what's between them. "My name is Zuko."


	8. Chapter 8

_This is a similar approach as the one I used for the last prompt, though there's no obvious thing about soulmates. This is set in the United Republic, maybe two hundred years after the original series, and there are two people like Katara and Zuko, who are also named after Katara and Zuko._

_I guess I just fell in love with the whole AU concept, since that seems to be the only thing I can write for this. _

* * *

**Day 8: Agni Kai**

"I don't wanna! I don'twannaIdon'twannaIdon'twanna!"

Katara growls, as she keeps limping across the room, one of her legs effectively hold down by a seven year old boy. She's putting all her effort into it. She can do this.

"No! You can't force me!" the boy keeps shouting and digs his nails into her leg.

Now that's it!

She looks down and grabs his hair (carefully) to make him look at her. "I could force you, you spoiled little brat! But I'm not gonna do it, because I'm nice like that! And if you don't go brush your teeth in the next ten seconds, we won't go to the zoo tomorrow!"

She knows it's a bit harsh, but she already told him half an hour ago that it was bedtime. And he kept being up, playing.

She reminded him every five minutes. Not that Rijoko would actually listen, or care. Sometimes the boy is sweet, and she feels something like motherly love for him, but sometimes, especially at times like these, she wishes his Dad hadn't forbidden spanking as punishment. That man is way too soft and spoils his children way too much. Of course, it is nice to see how much he loves them, and how well they get along, and how much his children love him, and...

She blinks. Uh, no. Focus.

"Noooo-hooo-hoo-hooooo!" Rijoko wails, still clutching onto her leg, his mouth wide open.

Katara really thinks she should have chosen medicine in favour of taking care of children. But she loves children, even that brat here.

She was the only one at kindergarten Rijoko opened up to, and she is very thankful for that. He gifted her many moments of complete joy, her walls being plastered with his paintings are a clear evidence to that.

"Dooon't! I want the zoo!" Rijoko sniffs, after he calmed down.

Katara is very glad that ignoring him wailing still works.

"Then brush your teeth!" she says slowly, containing her frustration.

"No!" the sulkily stubborn reply comes, the word articulated very shortly.

"Rijoko!" Katara says in her best warning voice.

"No, you can't make me! I'll... I'll fight you!"

Katara's eyebrows shoot up. What the heck?

"Yeah, yeah, in an Agni Kai!" Rijoko grins up at her.

Great. Now he seems excited. At this rate she'll never get him into bed, before his father comes home.

But what did he just say? Agni Kai?

"Do you know what an Agni Kai is?" she asks, frowning down at him.

Rijoko opens his mouth, then shakes his head.

"You know that's a really interesting story. Full of heroes and fire!"

"Wow, really? So cool!" His eyes grow a bit, and she knows that the puppy look is coming. "Can you tell me the story, Tara?"

Rijoko couldn't say her name, when they first met, and now he's still referring to her as Tara only.

"Sure. Bed time story?" Katara asks, smiling, patting his head.

"Yaaay!"

"Then make sure to get ready for bed," she tries, hopes he's too distracted about the bedtime story thing that he won't start arguing again.

She holds her breath. She's waiting.

"Mhm!" Finally, he lets go of her leg, untangles himself and rushes to the bathroom, as if he couldn't get there any faster.

Katara sighs deeply and runs her fingers through her hair. Now she's got three minutes to quickly clean the mess they'd left in the living room.

Putting everything she can grasp in her arms, she slowly makes her way to the kitchen, when she steps onto a ball.

"Waaaah!"

The plastic dishes clatter to the ground, as well as the picture books, when she almost falls onto the kitchen counter, but can still get a hold of herself.

"Phew!"

Then she notices that the rest ice cream from her bowl made if onto her T-shirt.

Groaning she quickly puts all the dishes into the dishwasher, the books and toys into the shelf, and then takes her shirt off, hoping she can save it. Darn, this is one of her favourite good ones! It's tight, but not too tight and falls around her breasts and hips like water, although it's just a t-shirt. The blue colour matches her eyes and dammit! Just because she's got the hots for Rijoko's father is she always wearing a good shirt, while working. Which is a very bad decision, when being with a seven year old. Maybe she should start bringing old shirts she can wear while actually working.

The door to the apartment opens, and Katara jumps.

Oh no, that's him!

Shit! She thought she could steal a towel and wrap it around her, before he'll be back, but now she would have to walk through the living roomy which is exactly where he's standing in. Not too mention his daughter.

"I'm going to my room," Izumi fortunately says, and Katara sighs, hoping that no one will come into the kitchen, but her prayers are not heard.

Clapsing her wet shirt in the sink, she stands there, only in her white bra, as Zuko walks into the kitchen.

His eyes grow wide, as he sees her, and she can feel her cheeks heat up. It's probably idiotic, but she wonders if he finds her attractive.

"Oh. Er, hi," He says, looking straight into her eyes. "I thought you were already in Rijoko's room."

Katara laughs nervously. "He was... very determined not to brush his teeth."

Zuko grimaces. "Sorry about that. I'll talk to him about it."

She shakes her head. "No, it's all okay. He's in the bathroom now, but I'll have to deliver a bed time story soon..." Uh, yeah. She'll need a shirt for that.

"Uh, come." He grabs her wrist and pulls her out of the kitchen, her wet shirt dripping onto the floor.

Katara's heart beats wilder, and she asks herself how it would be to be dragged by him into his bedroom for different reasons.

She bites down on her lower lip, as she's almost immediately getting aroused.

Oh gosh, she really has to stop fantasising about him! He's practically her boss, and he would never see her like that.

Even now, when she's only wearing a bra, he simply puts her shirt into his laundry basket and opens his wardrobe to give her a shirt of his. He's not even looking a little bit.

"Put that on," he says, still only staring into her eyes.

She nods and smiles, trying to look thankful and not sexually frustrated. She really has to get laid again. Soon. Maybe then it will stop. After all, Zuko is by far the most attractive male she's around. Except for her brother and friends, she doesn't see any other men. And it probably doesn't help that Zuko is very attractive himself. She knows he trains regularly, and now that it's summer she can stare at his bare biceps all she wants to. And it's not just his muscles. It's his face, too. He looks so interesting and handsome with the almond shaped eyes, straight nose, and high cheekbones. The scar on the lower left side of his face, turning his mouth into a constant scowl, just adds a dangerous edge to him, which is a high contrast to his personality. And how couldn't she fantasise about him? Even if he wouldn't be nice, and caring, kind and generous, awkwardly funny, and so cute when he couldn't manage to relax, she'd still think about his smile, day dream about his eyes, and...

Uh. Okay, she might have a bigger problem than just lusting for her boss.

"Thanks," she murmurs, quickly turning her face away to look at the wall, as she puts his shirt on. It's soft and for whatever reason warm. Is there a heater in his wardrobe to keep his clothes warm? Well, she would believe it. After all, the whole penthouse apartment is extremely technologised. Zuko bought a lot of unnecessary stuff, because it should help with childcare, but Katara rarely uses any of that.

When she looks back at him, his gaze seems piercing, and her heart stumbles.

"Uh, I'll just go to Rijoko for the bedtime story. I'll get you afterwards, so you can say good night."

"I'll come with you," Zuko says, and Katara startles.

"Okay."

Rijoko is pouting, when they enter his room. "You let me wait!" he accuses her.

"Sorry, honey, I spilled ice cream on my shirt, and had to wash it," Katara excuses herself.

After she sat down and tugged him in, Rijoko turns his head full of black hair to his father. "Hi Daddy."

Zuko raises an eyebrow. "Now you noticed me?"

Rijoko shakes his head. "No. I could see you before. I'm not blind."

Zuko sighs, as he sits down on the carpet and Katara smiles.

"So, ready for the story of the Agni Kai?"

Rijoko nods enthusiastically.

"What?" Zuko snarls.

Katara looks back at him, trying to appease him. "Relax. It's a story of heroes."

He scowls slightly at her, not looking convinced, but nods eventually.

"So. An Agni Kai is a fire duel, in which two firebenders duel each other, until one is burned," Katara explains.

"Ha! I'm a firebender!" Rijoko perks up, showing them a flame.

"No bending in bed!" Zuko warns, and Rijoko immediately sniffs it out.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"An Agni Kai was traditionally fought, when one of the duelists had somehow offended the other one. You know, back in the day, honour and respect were the most important values in the Fire Nation. The Agni Kai was considered heroic, but it is bad and cruel. It's like those bullies at your school beating someone, when they feel insulted. You get that?" Katara asks, gently, but seriously.

Rijoko nods, his face very serious.

"And because of that, one Fire Lord once forbid there to be any more Agni Kais. The nobility was enraged, since it was such a deep part of their culture, but he kept to his beliefs. And do you know why?"

Rijoko shakes his head.

"As a boy, the Fire Lord had been challenged to an Agni Kai himself. By no one else than his own father, the worst Fire Lord in history," she says it a bit spookily, and Rijoko gasps.

"The boy's father was a cruel man, who challenged his own son, still a child, to a fight. He burned the boy's... left side of his face, and sent him away, never to come back, unless he found..." Dramatic pause. "The Avatar!"

Rijoko takes in a sharp breath, and Katara smirks.

She told him about the Avatar quite a lot, so he knows about them.

"With capturing the Avatar, they would lose their biggest threat in order to conquer the world!"

"But they didn't!" Rijoko interrupted happily. "Fire Lord Zuko joined the Avatar, and together they defeated Fire Lord Ozai. But Saru calls him Loser Lord," he whispers, as if he would tell them a secret.

Zuko snorts.

Katara blinks. "Uh, yeah. That's more or less what happened. How do you know abou that?"

Rijoko yawns. "Culture and nature. Ms Kagurashi told us about it."

"Oh. Well, yeah. That happened. But because of Fire Lord Zuko's own bad experiences with the Agni Kai, fighting his father and his sister, he forbid it in the end. He didn't want any family to be torn apart by it ever again. So, Rijoko," Katara stems her hands on her hips. "Still wanna fight an Agni Kai with me?"

She is very glad that Zuko doesn't shout "What?" again.

Rijoko presses himself deeper into his mattress. "No. You can't even firebend."

"Pah! I can still fight!" Raising her eyebrows, she leans closer over him.

"Still no. Fire Lord Zuko's family was crazy. We're not. So we don't fight an Agni Kai," Rijoko decides, nodding to himself.

Katara smiles and stretches out a hand to stroke his cheek. "Yeah, we're not crazy." Leaning forward, she presses a kiss to his forehead, and he smiles tiredly at her.

Moments like this are when Katara loves the boy with all her heart and wishes she could be there for him his whole life.

But she will wants children of her own someday, and she cannot stay his nanny forever. Maybe she will be able to keep contact with Zuko and keeping track of Rijoko's life like this.

"Good night, Tara," Rijoko murmurs, his eyelids looking heavy.

"Good night, Rijoko. Sweet dreams," she whispers and strokes his hair out of his face.

He leans into her touch, and she feels again convinced that quitting the job at the kindergarten and instead becoming a nanny was the right choice.

Two years ago, she had to move a few cities away from her family, because of this job, but she was glad she had chosen to follow them. It was also better for Rijoko that way. He wouldn't have to get used to another nanny like that.

She still wonders sometimes why Zuko even asked her to become Rijoko's nanny. After all, she didn't make the best first impression on him.

He stood at the fence, which surrounded the kindergarten's grounds, and watched the children play at a time that was not close to getting picked up by parents. He also wore a suit and his hair was combed back.

It was Katara's first day, and she simply saw a man watching children play. But then one boy ran to him, and Zuko gave him a chocolate bar.

That's when Katara stormed over to him, demanded that he left, never came back, or she would call the police. She also said he should feel ashamed and go see a doctor, if he couldn't help himself from feeling creepy things for children.

Rijoko began to cry and asked why his father had to leave.

Katara was shocked, and Zuko stared at her, a little angry, before he started to calm down his son.

Katara apologised, but the air had been pretty cool since then. Rijoko still liked Katara, though, and followed her everywhere. He soon started hugging her, and after she learned that his mother had died, she gave him extra much attention.

At a parents' meeting Katara tried to apologise to Zuko again, explaining the situation, and it really worked. He said he should have thought about how his actions would look like, but he hadn't known there was someone new on the staff. They had talked very long that night, still after the parents' meeting, even after everyone was gone. They stood outside, close to their cars, talking about Rijoko, Zuko's family, why Katara chose to become a kindergarten teacher, her family, their childhood. It was one of those talks which never ended.

They have had a lot of those talks following since then, mostly after Katara put Rijoko to bed.

Smiling, she sits up straight again, and stands up then, smiling at Zuko, who stands up, too, to take the place at Rijoko's side.

Walking out of the room, Katara feels again how dangerous this situation is becoming. Feeling too much for a boy and his father she's working for, isn't a good thing to do, and definitely not smart. They are not her family, they are her clients.

She resumes tidying up the living room, knowing Zuko will stay in Rijoko's bedroom, until his son fell asleep.

She's already finished, when he walks out of Rijoko's room. He smiles at her and walks further into the living room, but instead of grabbing his keys, like he normally does to drive Katara home, he instead sits down next to her on the couch, and sighs.

Katara's heart starts beating faster. He never does that. This is not routine. What's going to happen?

"So, why a story about the Agni Kai?" he asks.

Oh.

She hopes he's not mad at her for telling Rijoko that. "Uhm. He mentioned it. And he didn't know what it was."

Zuko makes a pondering face. "Well, thanks that you told him that it's wrong."

"Uh, are you serious? You think I could have told him otherwise?" She's pretty shocked. How could he think that?

He jerks up. "What? No! Just... You could have simply told him about what it is, but not about the fact that it's wrong."

"Ah." Katara nods slowly. "Is that why you seemed so tense earlier?"

He leans back against the rest and closes his eyes, looking tired. Katara wonders if there's more to it, as he raises his hand and touches the scar on his neck. It's covering the whole left side of his neck, high over his jaw and chin, scarring the left side of his lips. It looks like an old burn, and it didn't heal very well.

"Yeah. But..." He sighs. "My father once challenged me to an Agni Kai. Since it is illegal, no one but a few of his friends knew. I had been disrespectful. I knew he believed in the old ways and all this shit about respect and honour without knowing what it really means. And I also knew that by challenging his authority, he would feel the need to discipline me. I knew what would come, but I still did it. Later, we said it was a training accident."

Katara's eyes grow as she stares at the unevenly healed skin.

So this is something personal to him.

She, too, believed that he had a training accident, for three years of friendship and two years of working now for him. He never said anything.

"So your father was never charged for that?" she asks cautiously.

Zuko shakes his head. "No, he was. Actually, he was charged for corruption and treason against the Republic, but I also told the public prosecutor about the illegal Agni Kais. I wasn't the only one he fought. It only added a few years to his jail sentence, but that's a few years more he's not near my children."

Unconsciously, Katara leans closer to him, feeling the need to comfort him somehow. She wraps her arms around him and leans her head against his shoulder.

She doesn't know what to say. In fact, she didn't know any of this until today. Zuko always avoided talking about his father, she even thought he might be dead. While Zuko is happy to talk about his mother and Uncle, he never mentions his father. Those were things about his life she never knew, and she feels sad about it. She wonders if Zuko doesn't trust her.

"When he'll be released, he'll have to get through me first to get anywhere near Izumi or Rijoko," she says and earns a warm chuckle.

"I know," Zuko says hoarsely, and wraps his arms around her, too.

They stay like this for a while.


	9. Chapter 9

_This is an AU, too, but it should be self-explanatory._

* * *

**Day 9: Partners in Crime**

"You are late, Your Highness," Katara scoffs, as he's nearing her, panting.

The dry street under him makes it easy to run quietly. Even though this is a part of town, where the streets are very seldom dry due to alcohol, urin or vomit, the heatwave even dried that away.

"I know." He stops and takes deep breaths of air. "I couldn't get away earlier, I'm sorry."

Katara narrows her eyes and suddenly he has a knife pointed at his throat. "If I'll find out that you're screwing us..."

He leans closer, and she quickly pulls the knife back.

"Then what?" he smirks.

She glares at him again. "Then I'm gonna slice your body open, cut your flesh in filets and will distribute you to the poor people of town."

He smiles. He knew there was a reason he wanted to work with her.

"I'm not a traitor. To you," he assures her. "Just to my Sovereign."

She doesn't look convinced, but instead looks around him. "What have you got?"

He holds up the bag he slung over his shoulder. "Food. And some new information. It's very crucial, and I..." He holds up another bag. "These are my things. After I told you what's going on, I won't be able to return."

She walks closer to him and takes the bag with food from him. "Well, then I guess we'll bring your stuff to the hideout and then head out again. Sokka came up with a plan to ambush the taxmen. If it'll work, we'll get the most money we ever managed to get," she says very lowly, leaning closer to him. "And we can talk about your information, once we're done." She starts walking, when he's quick to match her pace.

"Hey, are you still angry?" he asks, as they climb up a ladder to the roof.

"What? No."

"Then why didn't you greet me properly?" he wants to know.

On the roof, she turns around to him, who's holding his breath.

She gives him a peck on his cheek. "There. You could have more later, when we're away from the others again, but since you decided to become a full traitor, you'll have to stay with us."

"I know. We won't have a lot of privacy there. That's why I wanted a kiss from you now," he says a bit arrogantly and leans forward.

"I hate you," she murmurs, before she kisses him, wrapping her arms around him and presses her body to his.

If he wouldn't believe that his father would destroy the world and the Fire Nation, he would probably still join the rebellion, just for this kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

_I had to grin when I read this prompt, since I'm currently writing a fake dating Zutara story. So, the following will be a future situation from that story, set in the same AU. _

* * *

**Day 10: Fake Dating**

They had decided that they would need to practise to act like a couple to convince everyone that they were indeed one.

Katara wished they didn't have to do that, but Zuko was such a bad liar and such a bad actor that they would definitely need the practice. She just hoped she wouldn't throw up during kissing practice.

It's not like she didn't find Zuko handsome. He definitely was, but she just didn't feel attracted to him. He looked way too much like some posh snob, and that combed back hair was an absolute no-go. Other than that, she found he had a nice face and nice lips, now that she was looking at them.

They were sitting on her bed in her tiny one-room-apartment, trying to get comfortable for kissing practice. If Zuko hadn't been quite physically affectionate with his ex in public, this would also not be necessary. But it would look strange, if Zuko would not act with Katara like that in public.

Katara waited for him to lean in, but she noticed that he was way too tense to do that. If she touched him in the wrong spot, he would probably shatter into pieces.

She really had to do everything on her own, since relying on a guy never worked.

So, taking a deep breath, she leaned in, supporting her weight on her hands, which were placed on her mattress.

She saw Zuko's eyes widening, as he swallowed.

"Try to relax," she said and closed the last bit of distance between their lips.

When they touched, it felt normal. Katara was just glad that she didn't feel disgusted, since she didn't want to make Zuko feel bad.

His lips were warm, dry and soft, perfectly kissable. Letting out air through her nose, Katara closed her eyes and pressed her lips firmer to his.

She tried not to think too much about the weirdness of the situation, but more about the fact that she was kissing a handsome young man. She could try to enjoy it. She never kissed anyone who she didn't have feelings for, but it was definitely worth trying.

She hadn't kissed anyone for more than six months, and she hoped this kiss would sate that need a bit.

But Zuko didn't move at all.

Retreating a bit, she looked at him worryingly. "You would have to kiss me back, you know."  
She almost missed it, but it looked like his head had followed her retreat a bit. He blinked, then rasped: "Yeah, sorry, I'm gonna do that now."

He still didn't move, and she finally understood that he waited for permission. So she nodded.

The first contact of their lips was soft again, trying to get used to these unknown pair of lips.

A spark of electricity shot through Katara, when Zuko tilted his head and moved his lips against hers.

Oh, that felt good.

She leaned closer to him, followed the movements of his lips, strengthened the pressure on his mouth. He answered with slightly faster movements, opening his mouth.

That made her take in a sharp breath, and she wondered if they should try to get this far. They hadn't talked before about tongue kisses or normal kisses. Just about kisses. But maybe it was obvious that those had to be tongue kisses. She had no idea, and she felt herself panic a little bit.

Maybe she should just try it.

She touched his lower lip with her tongue, slowly, and licked it, making him taking a sharp breath. So maybe she had surprised him.

But he didn't back away, but answered with his own tongue stroking her lips. They tingled at his touch, which felt very good, and Katara overcame the urge to shove her hands into his hair and to pull him closer.

The electricity spread from her spine to her chest and stomach, making her feel fluttery and warm inside. If they kept doing this, she would definitely get aroused.

Pressing her eyes closed, she touched his tongue one last time and drew back, slightly out of breath.

Zuko's eyes were closed, and his cheeks were flushed.

She took his expression in, feeling surprised and somehow pleased. So he had liked kissing her. If he had thought about touching her, too?

Blushing, she quickly looked away, but heard him swallow.

"Uh, that wasn't bad," Zuko said, sounding so awkward that she had to cringe. "Good practice," he murmured.

"Yeah," she agreed. "It will suffice, won't it?"

He shrugged. "I'm not so sure. I didn't even dare nearing you in the beginning."

"Mhm." Forcing herself to look back at him, she blinked. "You could also tilt your head in the other direction. My neck got a bit stiff."

"Oh." She saw him blushing again. "Sorry. I found you were a bit reluctant, though."

"So… try again?" She raised her eyebrows, trying to seem as if this was not embarrassing at all. And as if she didn't want to kiss him again.

"Yeah."


	11. Chapter 11

_And an AU again. Sorry. It's not that different, though. _

_Katara is twelve, Zuko is fourteen, and Ozai died right after the Agni Kai. So Iroh became Zuko's regent, Zuko is officially Crown Prince and the unofficially the Fire Lord. Iroh discusses every decision as regent with Zuko so that Zuko can also learn how to be a good and just Fire Lord later. _

_Through Iroh's influence and some common sense Zuko was okay with ending the war. He now travels the world as peace ambassador so that the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes actually can believe the declaration of peace. _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. _

* * *

**Day 11: Dragon **

Katara likes waking up to the sound of her grandmother making breakfast. Then Katara would get up and help her.

It's new to her, however, to wake up being licked against the cheek.

She frowns, still sleepy, when she suddenly realises what that wet and warm feeling is. Startled, she sits up quickly, causing the animal to let out a frightened screech. It retreats to the foot of her bed, staring at her.

Katara blinks. What the deep sea is that thing? She never saw anything like it, and except for red, long, small and scaly she doesn't know how to describe it.

It looks like it has fins, very large ones like a manatee, but it's tail doesn't end in a fin. And it has feet, so it might not be a sea creature. It has the size of Gran Gran's largest pot. Its eyes are golden, which reminds her of the Fire Nation. Maybe it belongs to these peace ambassadors who arrived yesterday. She should bring it back to the giant ship anchoring close to the village.

The animal is curled together, but standing on its feet, in a slightly defensive pose. When it hisses, smoke comes out of its nostrils.

Wow. That creature is incredible.

"I'm sorry," Katara says and leans more forward. "I didn't mean to frighten you, but you startled me. Licking people's faces against their will is not good behaviour."

It seems to relax a bit, maybe it realises that Katara means no harm. So she stretches her arm out, very slowly, as not to startle it with too abrupt movements.

It comes slowly closer, sniffing at her fingers, then it licks them.

Katara tries hard not to squeak.

Just then she can hear people's voices outside of the hut. They must talk very loud, since the ice normally keeps the day life noises away.

And they must be crazy, because it's still incredibly early. When Gran Gran didn't start cooking yet, no one in their right mind would get up that early.

"But he has to be somewhere!" a young voice shouts very loud.

Now Katara can hear Gran Gran's steps in the hallway. Deciding, she wants to find out, too, what's going on, she slips out of her bedroll and puts on her shoes.

The animal stares at her curiously.

"Want to come with me?" Katara asks and holds out both her hands.

The red creature comes closer and Katara gently grasps it under its forearms, like she would hold a baby or a puppy. The creature doesn't seem to object, and hangs there, long tail curled, the face looking even kind of friendly. Maybe it's a very intelligent animal.

Its body feels very warm, which feels great against the chilly air.

Katara puts it close to her chest, the same way Gran Gran taught her how to hold a baby, and the scaly animal presses its body even closer to her.

Hm, it seems cuddly.

Walking out of the hut, a horrible image presents itself to her.

Five Fire Nation soldiers stand in front of Gran Gran in a half circle, while one is standing in front of them. Clearly the leader, he is smaller, looks younger and doesn't wear a helmet. This way, the horrific burn scar on his pale face is well visible.

Katara takes a deep breath and walks up to her grandmother.

"We are not trying to search your village, I'm only searching for my dragon!" the boy shouts.

Huh, he looks pretty imposing in his armor, but he's probably still in Sokka's age. How can he command all the soldiers behind him?

"I understand that, but as peace ambassadors you really shouldn't search the village. People will think that you lied about the peace and are here for a different reason," Gran Gran replies sternly.

The boy pinches the bridge of his nose and looked tiredly to the ground.

Stepping closer, Katara lays a hand on her Gran Gran's shoulder. She turns around and smiles at her granddaughter.

One of the soldiers clears his throat. "Uhm, Fire Lord Zuko?"

"Don't call me that, and I don't want to hear it!" the boy snaps.

Katara blinks. Did she just hear right? Was that teenager...?

The creature in her arms moves, and suddenly Katara notices that all of the soldiers are staring at her. The boy is still occupied with glaring at the ground. If he really is royalty, then his posture is horrible.

Katara's new animal friend makes a squeaking sound and turns around.

The boy looks up at that sound, and Katara notices that she feels frightened. What if what Gran Gran said was true, and there was no peace? What if it was only an excuse to be received warmly here?

"You!" the boy addresses her.

Her eyes widen. She really wishes he wouldn't stare at her.

"What are you doing with my dragon?"

Some of the soldiers suddenly chuckle.

The boy doesn't react, he only stands there, his feet wide apart and his fists clenched, leaned forward. Katara doesn't have to have animalistic instincts to know that this stance is aggressive from head to toe.

She almost takes a step back.

"I-I-I," she stammers.

The animal in her arms turns again and licks her face.

She scrunches her nose. "I told you that it is rude," she murmurs quietly, but starts stroking the animal without thinking.

Hearing an annoyed groan from in front of her, she quickly looks up and sees how that boy advances her. His posture doesn't seem aggressive anymore, he looks more like a tired parent.

She tenses and wonders if Gran Gran will stop him.

"I can't believe this," the boy says, sounding slightly irritated.

Katara fights the urge to take a step back, as the boy stops directly in front of her.

"Druk," he says warningly.

What does that word mean?

The creature turns to look at him and makes that friendly high pitched noise again.

Now she suddenly understands.

It is his pet, and it ran away. Well, if she were a firebender's pet she'd run away, too.

The animal lets out a squeaking sound, which ends in something like a bark, as she notices that its tail is swishing around.

"I can't believe that you..." the boy starts, apparently talking to the animal. Then he groans again and suddenly bows. It's not something Katara is used to.

"Please excuse me, if I frightened you. I was under the impression that you abducted him," he nods to the animal in Katara's arms. "But I believe that he simply went on a discovery tour on his own."

"It's a him?" Katara asks, without thinking.

The boy suddenly does something that somehow doesn't fit into his face. It seems to be made for angry expressions, the way his scar pulls his left facial side into a constant scowl. But he smiles. "Yeah, he is."

Katara automatically smiles back. "What's his name?"

"It's Druk."

Katara raises an eyebrow. Strange name for something like him.

She scratches him under his chin, and Druk shudders, clearly enjoying it. "Fine boy, Druk. You're a very fine... Uh, what is he?" she asks, looking up at the boy who has a strange expression on his face.

"A dragon," he says like that was obvious.

"Is that typical Fire Nation?" Katara wants to know, somehow ignoring the soldiers' and her grandmother's looks.

"Yeah, of course. The dragons were the first firebender's. When they're grown, they are very big, bigger than ten igloos," he goes on, referring to something she knows.

"You're going to be that big?" she asks Druk, who happily swings around his tail and cocks his head to the side.

"They can fly and breathe fire," the boy goes on.

"He's adorable," Katara gushes and scratches her new friend one last time, before gently putting him on the ground.

Druk seems happy, as he hops towards his owner, who bends down to wiggle his finger warningly in front of him.

"You can't just go off by yourself, Druk. You're still too little!"

Druk seems to feel guilty, as his tail drops into the snow, and he sits down, his ears hanging.

Katara feels amazed. Wow, dragons really must be way more intelligent than otter penguins!

"That will have consequences, young man!" the boy warns, and Katara feels the urge to step up and protect Druk, but she waits.

The boy scratches his chin, thinking. "Oh, I know! No fireflakes today!"

Druk lets out a whining sound, which almost tears through Katara's heart.

"No! Don't give me that look! It's decided! You should have stayed on the ship, you know that!" the boy says, then picks Druk up. "Come on, let's have breakfast," he says, then he looks at Katara again. "Thank you for taking care of him," he says and bows a bit.

Katara smiles. "No problem."

The boy bows to Gran Gran, too, and then walks off toward the giant Fire Nation ship, his soldiers following him.

"Was that one of the ambassador's sons?" Katara asks her grandmother.

Gran Gran smiles slightly. "That, Katara, was the future Fire Lord."


	12. Chapter 12

_Total AU. _

* * *

**Day 12: Balance**

"No-ho fair!" Katara cries out, as she sits high in the air, her feet dangling to the ground.

Zuko, in front of her, grins evilly. "Well, you're just too much of a baby, Katara," he says, shrugging.

"No, I'm not!" Katara shouts, leaning forward on the seesaw.

While she is sitting in the air, Zuko is all comfortable on the other side on the ground. He really likes having his feet in the sand and not where Katara is sitting.

"You're just too heavy!" she complains, but he shrugs.

He is heavier than her, that's obvious. He also has to be, since he's a boy and older than her. If he weren't heavier it would be pretty embarrassing.

"You want me to stand up?" he asks, smiling innocently.

"Yeah," she murmurs.

He stands, but keeps the seesaw with his hands on the ground.

"Oh-oh, Zuko! Just let me down!"

Zuko's grin widens even more. He loves whenever he has the upper hand. Normally, she's ordering him around, deciding what they play, and he's fine with it, most of the time. But not always.

But tormenting her isn't that fun, so he steps aside and takes his hands off the seesaw. It bounces back to the ground on Katara's side, who lets out a squeak and falls backwards into the sand.

Oh no, he didn't think about that.

"Katara!" he cries and runs towards her. "Are you okay?"

She turns around, groaning, sand in her hair, as she slowly opens her eyes. "Zuko?"

He panics. She doesn't look good, not good at all. What if she has a concussion? What if there's blood in her brain and she will die?

He quickly grabs her under her shoulders to pull her up.

Suddenly he finds himself lose his balance and falls back into the sand, landing on his behind.

Katara stands in front of him, hands on her hips, grinning triumphantly. "Now we're even."


	13. Chapter 13

_AU of the future world of Avatar. Just two people who are called Katara and Zuko, reincarnated war heroes. _

* * *

**Day 13: Folktale**

Everyone visits the folk festival. It's the best festival of the whole year.

The entertainment is great, the food, too, and everyone can see their friends and families. If you don't go the the festival, you won't be able to join in the conversations the day after at school.

There are theatre performances, music, singers, dancers, poetry, prose reading, choreographed fights and bending, it's all simply beautiful.

Katara's favourite is the theatre stage on which old legends and myths are performed. While her friends concern themselves with more modern and "cooler" things, Katara loves these old stories.

Her favourite one is about a heroine who has the same name as her. It always feels like this story is hers personally, and as if there's something more to it.

The heroine Katara protected all of the South Pole against the bad firebenders for years, until they sent so many troups at once that even the mighty Katara couldn't fight them all. She surrendered and was chained, shipped away to the Fire Nation. The Avatar, an airbender named Aang, had just been awakened by her and followed her together with her brother to rescue her.

In the Fire Nation, the people had heard about what a strong warrior the waterbender Katara had been, and they respected her for that and treated her well. Katara's inmates ahd also heard about her bravery and power and looked up to her. Whenever they had a problem they came to her first. And the inmates had a lot of problems, treated more like animals, not like humans.

The Fire Prince was curious about the waterbender and went into the prison, just when a riot started. In order to calm everyone down and keep peace, he listened to the complaints of the prisoners, vocalised by Katara.

Since then he made sure to meet the waterbender once a week and talk about the prison's conditions. After a few weeks, their conversations trvalled to new topics and they started playing Pai Sho every time they met.

Soon, the Fire Prince started to love her and wanted to help her escape. Their love was strong and passionate, but short, because destiny hadn't forged their paths to meet in a romantic way.

The Avatar and Katara's brother found her and worked on a plan to defeat the evil Fire Nation. The Fire Prince was send to capture them as a punishment for letting Katara escape. He chased the one he loved, craving for her, knowing he couldn't capture her.

But he soon also saw that his father and his nation were in the wrong and chose to join the rebellion. There, he noticed that the Avatar had feelings for Katara. Thinking himself not worthy of her, he was sure she would choose Aang, and he didn't even try to win her heart.

Katara was beside herself with joy, when the Fire Prince joined their group for good, but nothing he said or did indicated that he felt the same for her as she felt for him. So she accepted the Avatar's courting.

When they fought their final battle, the Fire Prince almost died to save Katara, but she managed to heal him in time. They confessed their feelings to each other, but knew that they couldn't be together. The Avatar was a far too important person and he needed Katara. So they sacrificed their happiness for the greater good of the world, longing for each other for all their life and lives after that.

When the play ends, the actors of Katara and Prince Zuko always hold hands, and walk into different directions, until they slowly, very slowly have to let go of each other's hands.

It always touches Katara's heart, and she sometimes wonders how it would be like to be in love with an enemy.

Standing up to meet her friends again, she freezes when she sees Zuko sitting behind her.

He's from another school, but they have met during enough martial arts contests, so she knows exactly who he is.

Does he like the play, too? How is it for him to watch a play, in which the male main character has his name?

Katara always subconsciously thinks about him, when she watches this play. Mostly because of his name, of course, but he also has ancestors from the Fire Nation and they were in opposing school teams during the martial arts contests, so he's kind of an enemy.

"Hi," she quickly says and smiles.

He looks startled, as his eyes widen. He quickly stands up from his seat, so that now she has to look up at him. "Hi!" he replies, sounding slightly somehow nervous and enthusiastic.

She never actually talked to him. She always thought he is as focused and cold in normal life, as he is on the fighting mat.

"Do you like the play?" Katara asks, hoping she doesn't annoy him.

But he seems different now, not like he does during a contest, when he acts like everyone is his enemy, and he always scowls to answer everything.

Now, he seems a bit like a dear in the headlight, as he scratches his head, his cheeks a bit pink. He looks away, as he answers her. "I, uh, haven't seen it before, but it was good. Although it didn't happen like that," he adds, murmuring.

Katara cocks her head to the side. "How couldn't you have seen the play or known the story? It's a really popular folk tale!"

Zuko shrugs. "I haven't been at this festival before, and like I said, it didn't happen like that."

"How would you know? Where you there?" Katara asks, a little bit on edge, since he is ruining her favourite love story.

"My family still has a lot of old stuff from our ancestors, like letters and diaries, logbooks. According to these sources the hundred year war ended a little bit different."

"How was the story then?" Now she is intrigued. Was it maybe even more romantic and heroic?

After Zuko starts to talk, Katara notices that he's not good at telling coherent stories. He sometimes goes back several scenes, or doesn't remember something, flushing, but not apologising.

Katara thinks this might take a while, and drags him with her to an ice cream stall. They stand in a very long queue, waiting to place their order.

When Zuko's finished, she scrunches up her nose. "That's not really romantically thrilling."

He smiles. "Yeah, I liked the play also way better."

She decides that she really likes him like that, and that he should smile more often.

"Although it could have had a happy ending," Katara says thoughtfully.

"I agree," says Zuko, then he scratches the side of his head. "Uh, want me to buy you come ice cream?"

"I..." she starts, wanting to decline his offer. But wait, he's a nice, but still unfamiliar boy who wants to buy her ice cream... Maybe he's interested in her.

Trying hard not to flush, she nods. "I'd like that, thanks."

Zuko smiles and asks what flavour she would like.


	14. Chapter 14

_And I overcame the urge to turn this into an AU story, too, so you get some book three Zutara here. _

_Zuko just had a sword fighting match with Sokka and behaved pretty arrogantly, because of course, he won time and time again, but then Sokka threw his boomerang and Zuko didn't learn anything from the last time that happened. That story is actually part of the comic Avatar The Lost Adventures. _

_The following happens right after that. _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. _

* * *

**Day 14: Dao Swords**

Zuko's ego is slightly bruised. Not that it is something new, but he hasn't been bested at weapon combatting in years now!

Technically, he still hasn't been bested, since the rule was swords only. Still, he should have known the boomerang would come back. He should have remembered his first painful and humiliating encounter with that weapon earlier! The moment, it dawned on him, it was already too late.

The most annoying thing?

Sokka keeps bragging about that cheating. And Katara encourages him.

Zuko knows Katara doesn't trust him, and he thought he could live with that, but being insulted all the time... If he would desire that, he would have stayed with his sister.

He knew he would prove himself to Katara and earn her trust with time, but he begins to believe that her anger could runs deeper.

"Yeah, and it's not only your abilities. This sword fighting match was uneven from the beginning. I mean, he has two of them!" Katara exclaims, gesturing around, while Sokka is nodding enthusiastically.

Zuko scowls.

"You only got one, so of course he managed to win more often. It's way more difficult with only one sword," Katara scoffs, while handing Toph a bowl of rice.

They are all sitting around the fireplace, having dinner, while Zuko is leaning against a stone pillar, having claimed earlier that he wasn't hungry, although that had been a lie. Fortunately, he still had some dry pig chicken sausage and dried ash bananas left.

"I think having two swords, while Zuko has only one, everyone here would best him." Katara sounds nonchalantly, as she sits down to start eating herself.

Okay, that's it!

He pushes away from the pillar and walks quickly enough to the group, so no one can say anything else.

Aang and Sokka look nervous, Toph grins, Teo, The Duke and Haru look frightened, while Katara just glares at him. She doesn't even feel ashamed!

"Oh, yeah? Why don't we find out? ?" he asks, and crosses his arms, staring at everyone threateningly. Then a thought occurs to him, and he looks back at Katara, almost smirking. "You against me, waterbender. You'll have my swords, I'll have Sokka's."

Katara's glare deepens. "You're on. Go fetch your swords!"

Zuko is grinning grimly, as he jogs back to his room.

"You, too, Sokka!" he can hear Katara bark.

After a few minutes, Zuko's back next to the fountain and gets into a stance, waiting for Katara to do the same.

She stands with her feet wide apart, one side of her body turned towards him, his swords pointing at him. She looks like she's going to bend, not to fight with a weapon.

He will have to be careful not to hurt her accidentally.

"Uh, guys. You really don't have to do that," Aang tries to stop them again.

"Just say 'Go', Aang!" Katara snarls.

"Hey, Zuko, be kind to space sword, okay?" Sokka asks, sounding worried and a little desperate.

Zuko examines the blade again and snorts. "The way you took care of it, even my sister would treat it better."

No one seems to understand that reference. Of course, no one knows that Azula always broke her toys and never cared about weapons, which didn't belong to him.

"Zuko, can you fight fair and square now, at least?" Aang asks, his worry making his voice sound higher. He seems to remember that Zuko said before his sword fight with Sokka that there was no such thing as a fair and square sword fight.

He nods, but Katara seems to only get angrier at that.

"I don't need fair and square! Come at me with all you've got!" she hisses, dropping deeper into her pose, clearly looking aggressive.

Yeah, if he would do that, she's be dead in two seconds. So nope.

But he could also make her hit the ground in three seconds. He settles for that.

Aang whistles, and Katara comes running at him, winding out with his swords in one fluid motion.

He meets one of his swords, and sees Katara smirk as she uses the other one to try and hit his side.

A classic beginner's mistake. Using the swords solely, she gives up her stand.

With the flick of his wrist, Sokka's sword turns and makes Katara let his left Dao drop. He meets his other sword in time, then reaches quickly for the handle, simply pulls it out of Katara's grasp, whirls her around with this movement, which makes her lose her balance. She falls against his chest, and Zuko makes Sokka's sword's tip and his own sword's blade point at her throat, while shoving his thigh between hers, so that she won't be able to retake a proper stance.

Except for her fast breath she doesn't move, not one bit. She doesn't know that Zuko knows exactly how and how quickly to remove the swords, so that she could never ever hurt herself.

Zuko can feel her heart beat against his chest, and realises that she's not out of breath from the battle, if you could call it that, but because of fear.

She's afraid of him.

He quickly retreats the swords and pushes her into a stance, in which she has enough balance not to fall to the ground. He picks up his other sword, then walks to Sokka and hands him his sword.

Zuko turns around, seeing Katara glare at him. He stares back. "Anyone else want to prove Katara's words?" he asks the group, but keeps looking at Katara.

No one answers.

Zuko nods, only thinks and doesn't say "I figured as much", then turns around to go back to his room.

"Wait!" Katara shouts.

He stops, but doesn't turn around. He tries to be nice, but he won't take those insults from her, and he's too angry to give her the satisfaction of turning around. She shouls know exactly that he's pissed.

"Sokka was only making fun, even of himself, because he knows he cannot beat you," Katara says.

"Hey!" yells Sokka.

"It was friendly teasing, not meant to be mean," Katara goes on, then stopping for a few seconds. "But I wanted to be mean. I insulted you. And I shouldn't have."

It's not an apology. But it's enough for now.

And maybe that's all he deserves. After all, he hasn't done anything else yet than teaching Aang the firebending basics.


	15. Chapter 15

_No AU again! Maybe I'm getting the hang of it. It's just so much fun to come up with AUs..._

_Since the prompt is scars, there are some pretty obvious topics, but I wanted to try a different approach. Sometimes you've got to surprise your readers! _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender._

* * *

**Day 15: Scars**

"Why do you always sneak some food off your own plate?" Zuko asks Katara, as she is about to eat one dumpling from said plate.

It's afternoon and lunch was over three hours ago. Katara is in the Fire Lord's private garden, since she thought Zuko would still take some time to go through the mayor of Yu Dao's reports.

She shrugs. "I like eating throughout the day. It's how we did it in the South Pole." Lie! Lie!

Zuko looks sceptical. "But last time I was there, you ate two times a day. And you were the only one sneaking food."

Katara laughs and shakes her head. "Oh, that was for the otter penguins!" Maybe she forced that enthusiasm in her voice a bit too much.

His raised eyebrow affirms that. "There are no otter penguins here, and you just wanted to eat that gyoza yourself," he points out, as if he were the observant guy. That doesn't seem to fit him, but sometimes he can be very observant. "And I noticed how it smells of food in your room. Are you squirreling for the winter? Because things even grow here in winter."

Because of the upper curve of his lips she can tell that he's joking. He doesn't really believe that she's squirreling food away. Of course he wouldn't. He never had to get through a winter at the South Pole, when all the food had to be rationed, and sometimes you went without any food for days.

And although Katara knows he's joking, she cannot help the caught-with-her-hand-in-the-cookie-jar-look on her face.

Zuko immediately catches onto that, which confuses her, since he's normally pretty bad at reading facial expressions. He narrows his eyes. "Or are you?"

Katara still doesn't answer, and just looks away. She doesn't feel ashamed of it. At least, that's what she's telling herself.

It's not about preparing for winter, what she did for the first fourteen years of her life, but about the fear to go without food again. There might be no cruel winter in the Fire Nation, but a tsunami could destroy the agricultural islands, a hurricane could ruin the harvest, an illness could spread through the soil, or a drought could happen.

These people here don't know how lucky they are, that they never had to fear being without food. But that luck can't hold on forever.

"Katara," says Zuko softly. "We have enough food. You don't have to worry."

She swallows and keeps staring ahead. He doesn't understand. He never starved.

"While I was marked a traitor, getting by was also very difficult for me, and I didn't have anything to eat for several days. I understand your fear to a slight degree."

"Zuko, I've seen babies as thin as their skeletons, and them, toddlers and children dying of hunger winter by winter," she rasps out.

"That won't happen here. If we suffered from anything which would make us starve, the Earth Kingdom would help." He then sits down next to her, his arms touching hers.

She turns her head to look at him. He smiles reassuringly. When Zuko is not pessimistic about something, it usually means that it cannot be awful in any way.

So maybe she should believe him and stop living in fear. Every child's death she witnessed, every summer praying that her family would make it through alive, she had just become more afraid. That fear had scarred her soul and her carefreeness.

It won't be easy to overcome this, but for now, she hands the dumpling to Zuko.


	16. Chapter 16

_I actually had a very hard time coming up with something to write for this day, but no very creative or unexpected approach to this prompt came into my mind. As you probably already noticed, I'm not always aiming for the obvious and try to see the prompts in a different way, but how the heck can intimacy mean something else? First, I was thinking about psychological intimacy, but nothing not boring came into my mid about that. _

_So you got physical intimacy here. Oh, and this is not an AU, but it is set in the future, and Katara and Zuko have been reborn, their different ways of being raised changed them. I guess this story could be set a few days after or weeks after my story for the soulmates prompt. _

_I hope you enjoy reading! _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. _

* * *

**Day 16: ****Intimacy**

Panting, Zuko lets himself fall back on the mattress of his bed. Staring at the ceiling of his hotel room, he tries to enjoy the resting feelings. He's in no hurry to calm down, nor does he have to hide the power she has over him.

Sighing, he turns on his side, looking at the darker skinned woman next to him. Her chest rises quickly, and her mouth is still open, her eyes closed.

He smiles and puts an arm around her. Her eyes flutter open, and he turns her on her side, so that he can pull her against his chest.

Katara's soft hair tickles his jaw, but he simply presses closer to her, enjoying having her near him. She seems relaxed to him, and he has to smile into her neck.

"We're cuddling now?" she asks, wiggling a bit away from him.

He tries to rein in his disappointment, since she apparently isn't the cuddly type. But she only turns around on her other side so that she can look him in the eye now.

"Why not?" he asks.

"Just thought you'd be too cool or manly for that," she answers, a smile pulling at her lips.

Zuko immediately smiles back. "I don't care about that." He doesn't have to tell her that he normally doesn't cuddle with women he only sleeps with. He cuddled with his ex-girlfriend, because he actually likes cuddling, a lot. And he likes Katara a lot, too.

"What about you? You don't strike me as the cuddly type either," he says, searching her face. He doesn't know why he wants to know that. What if she's going to say something he won't like?

She looks away and presses her lips together, but reaches out to touch his arm. He's overly aware of that feeling.

"Probably," she says quietly, then looks back at him. "My Dad… is not the cuddling type, and I didn't have someone else, since I was eight. Maybe I'm just not used to it."

He takes her hand on his arm into his own and intertwines their fingers, bringing them up to his lips. "And before your mum died? Did you cuddle with her?"

Her smile seems soft, lighting his heart with golden fire. "Yeah. Dad cuddled with me back then, too. Sometimes I think everything that was good and soft about him died, when Mum died, too." Biting down her lip, she pulls her hand away from his and sits up, combing through her hair with her fingers.

Zuko sits up, too, and wants to reach for her again to comfort her, as she slips to the edge of the bed. Scowling, he gets up faster and grabs her wrist, before she can get up from bed. He pulls her back against him, so strongly that she falls on top of him.

"Zuko!" she growls in an annoyed manner, but he wraps his arms around her and holds her and doesn't let go, until she stops wiggling and calms down.

After a while, she slowly lets her head sink onto his chest.

Zuko strokes up and down her back and then shoves one hand into her hair to keep her like this. He simply wants to give her comfort and show her somehow that he really likes her and isn't only interested in her body. He wants to be there for her. Physically, when she needs a hug, and psychologically, when she needs someone to understand her.

It takes some time, but she relaxes finally, and then falls asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

_I hope my approach to this prompt will be understandable. And I overcame the temptation of an AU once again! I love AUs to be honest, I just thought that some readers might get annoyed if this will only be full of AUs, so I'm trying to tone it down a bit. _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender._

* * *

**Day 17: Eclipse **

"Ohirume, you've got to stop with this madness," Yue says upon entering her co-worker's study.

Ohirume raises an eyebrow at her. "Yue, I knew you'd come today. It's your natural path." Pulling up one corner of her lip, she turns back to letting plants grow out of pots. "But I won't back down. You won't step in my way."

Yue frowns slightly, but walks closer to the sun spirit. Normally, they get along pretty well, probably because Ohirume always had something against Tui.

"Whatever you'll do, you cannot put the Fire Prince on this path!" Yue declares, clenching her hands to fists.

It had only been recently, when she found out what Ohirume intended to do with the world. She saw the signs to that before, but since the spirits don't bother with human wars, she didn't think Ohirume would actually do that.

The dark golden, almost red hair of the sun spirit darkens a little bit, as she smiles almost dangerously at Yue.

In her mortal life she would have felt intimidated, or, at least, frightened, and she knows that her powers are not as strong as Ohirume's, but she has to try her best.

"You're still a very young spirit, and I do like you. So I'm going to forgive your insolence," Ohirume says softly, her hair almost yellow now, as she seems to forget about her anger.

"But…" Yue starts.

"No but! It's only logical, Yue! Opposites attract! Water and fire react together! I'm simply… pushing them a bit in the same direction," says Ohirume nonchalantly, as if there was nothing to it.

"That's not it!" Tensing her arms, Yue holds her chin high and keeps on challenging the sun spirit. "You are not concerned about them at all! You're not doing this for their happiness!"

Ohirume stands up in all her light and warm glory, her golden eyes glinting furiously. "My reasons are not your concern, moon child! And now get out of my sight, before I'll decide not to shine on you anymore." She walks closer to Yue, clearly looming over her, her hair now the colour of blood, curly and floating around her in her rage. "Don't you forget that you depend on me!"

Yue bites her teeth together. She is doing the right thing, and Ohirume is delusional. She has to settle this once and for all. "You must have seen what the future will bring, if you continue down this path, Ohirume. The world wants to be free of war. Your way would start a far worse, a far more cruel war!"

"I. Don't. Care!" Ohirume grits out between her teeth.

Yue tilts her head back to be able to keep looking into Ohirume's eyes. "You're not serious. If you let this happen, nothing on this world will ever need your light and warmth again. Let Katara go. Don't do this to Aang," she pleads.

Ohirume snorts. "Why should I care about the Avatar's feelings? He's none of my children, and he is really just that. A child. I don't hold any respect for him."

Yue contorts her eyebrows, feeling confused. But Aang is the bridge between the worlds. How can Ohirume be so apathetic towards him? He will save the world! "You can't be serious. He saved my people."

Ohirume whirls around, snapping close to Yue's face. "And killed thousands of my children in the process! No Avatar since Ummi had done such an unspeakable thing! Not even Kyoshi killed that many of her enemies!"

Yue swallows, finally understanding why Ohirume is doing all this. But she also feels confused and conflicted. Was what Aang did to the Fire Nation Navy really so cruel? And how much of a part did La have in all of this? Yue doesn't want Ohirume to become angry at La, too, since she really likes the dark skinned spirit.

Ohirume smiles and shakes her head. "No, Avatar Aang deserves to be taken away from him what is most precious to him! He will see how a person he thought was his friend will take his love away! Just how I saw my friend and ally kill my children."

Yue understands Ohirume's pain. She, too, felt desperate over all the lost lives of her tribespeople after the battle. But Ohirume must have lost so much more of the people she loved.

"But you would use one of your children," Yue tries to talk some sense into her co-worker again.

"It's not like he's objected to loving your waterbender. Prince Zuko will be fine and happy. It's only natural that they will fall for each other," Ohirume whispers, as if she said that to herself a dozen times already.

"But after that, you would make him suffer so much. Katara and Zuko will both be much happier, if you let Katara be with the Avatar." Maybe Yue also feels a little uneasy thinking that Prince Zuko and Katara should become a couple. The way Katara and Aang interacted seemed very sweet to her. It was by far not close to what she felt for Sokka, but it's still better than letting her friend be with a boy who doesn't care about knocking her out with force.

Ohirume's face contorts into a horrible grimace, burning and raging with fire, as she lets out a pained scream. "The Avatar doesn't deserve her love! Zuko…" She takes a shaky breath, running her hand through her hair. "… My son is conflicted. But with Katara at his side, he will be happy and safe. He deserves her far more than the Avatar does."

Yue takes in a sharp breath and walks closer to the sun spirit she had come to see as a friend. "Aang is a pure heart and soul. He would have never harmed your children, if La hadn't taken control over him. If you want to vent your anger at someone, then settle this with La, but don't punish innocent humans for that. I understand that you think Prince Zuko needs someone as good as Katara, but this relationship wouldn't end well for the world. Please, Ohirume. The world will be much more beautiful, if you let the Avatar be happy."

She shakes her head again. "No. No, he can't…"

Yue takes in a sharp breath. She knows that being soft won't get her anywhere with this spirit. She's far more stubborn than La.

"Ohirume! You will stop this!" she declares, making her powers deepen her voice and producing an echo. "Your wish for revenge will destroy the world, and I will not let this happen!"

The sun spirit raises her head. "Oh yeah, and how are you going to stop me, moon? You're no match against me! I control you!"

Yue feels her powers wane, as Ohirume seems to glow stronger, as if to prove her point.

No, Yue cannot give up. She's doing this for the world, her people, her family and friends, for Sokka. She won't let them die, and she won't let Katara be close to that horrifying man who came into the Spirit Oasis. But other than Ohirume she won't force the humans to do anything. If Katara would fall for the Fire Prince on her won, then so be it, but Yue won't let her be forced to feel like this by Ohirume!

"Not always, Ohirume!" Yue growls and feels surprised at how much determination she feels. She seldom felt so strong. Stepping forward she manages to loom over Ohirume, who sits down on the ground, glaring up at her. Yue's form prevents Ohirume to shine down on her children, and the sun spirit hisses in anger.

"If Katara and Zuko fall in love they will be together, but I won't let you use their love to hurt Aang or the world!" the moon spirit declares, keeping the sun spirit's light and heat in check.

She won't step back. Not when people need her. She will always step forward and stop forces from harming the human world. That is her destiny as the moon spirit.

* * *

_Ohirume is a from me created variation of the name Ō-hiru-me-no-muchi, which is one of the names of a Japanese sun goddess named Amaterasu. Ohirume seemed to be the most fitting name for a sun spirit to me, somehow, but I don't know why._

_I know most of the fanfiction writers use Agni as the sun spirit, but he was never mentioned in canon, and I wanted a female spirit as sun spirit, so that the dragon spirit would be male. I like the idea od the fire spirits mirroring the water spirits. One male, one female, one the source of the abilities of the benders, the other one the first bender of the element. The sun and ocean would be the sources, of course, and the moon and dragon are the first bendersof water and fire.  
_

_I also wanted a sun spirit whose creation has got ties to Japan, which inspires the making of the whole Fire Nation, and not to India. When I think about India and Avatar, there is always only the film coming to my mind, and I don't want that. _

_Thanks for reading! _


	18. Chapter 18

_Hi everyone! _

_The following is practically self-explanatory. _

* * *

**Day 18: Caught Undressed**

It is bold, but Katara doesn't care.

It seems so logical, but having grown up in the South Pole, and having travelled through the earth Kingdom in spring, constantly surrounded by her friends in summer, and then never living in the wild nature again, it had just never come to her mind.

But now, three years after she's been here on Ember Island for the first time, she isn't only alone in summer, she found a place, where no one would be able to find her. Shielded by cliffs, the bay is so small that Katara is not even sure one could call it a bay. And the cliffs' top reaches further towards the ocean, so she is even shielded from the looks of people standing on this cliff.

There is no problem in going into the water with her underwear, but being alone, not seen by anyone she thought she might try to be in her element without anything separating them.

It's quite the difference, but it actually only feels like taking a bath. The only things that are different to that are the feeling of the salt water and the gentle up and down of the waves.

Katara decides she likes this feeling better than taking a bath in a creek, or river, or lake. Or a bathtub.

She lets herself float on her back, making sure with her bending that the waves aren't carrying her away, as she stares up into the night sky.

Then a light suddenly covers the walls of the cliffs, and before Katara can react she hears a loud, high pitched scream.

She quickly moves her body back into the water again, hoping that the water and the darkness obscure her nakedness. She just hopes it isn't Zuko who came across her.

But of course it's him.

He's standing there at the edge of the water, only in his underpants, his hands pressed against his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, and I didn't see anything, I swear!"

Katara is blushing fiercely, and her body feels suddenly way warmer against the cool ocean than it did before. "What?" she shouts hysterically.

"Uh…"

"What are you even doing here?" If he followed her here, she would so make sure that he will suffer.

"I know this place. I've often come here as a child," he says, but it sounds nasal, since his hands are also pressing against his nose.

She narrows her eyes at him. Well, what he said could be true, but she doesn't have any proof of it. He could have made that up. "Then what are you waiting for? Get out!"

Zuko's body tenses, and it looks like he's contemplating something. "Well, okay. But… I have the same right to be here that you have, so make sure to be dressed next time. I don't want to be chased out of here again!" He nods, as if to emphasise his point, then turns around and lowers his hands.

"Just don't come here, when I'm here!" Katara shouts back. She won't take orders from him. And she does feel a little insulted at how vehemently he seems not to want to see her naked.

"I'll come here whenever I want to!" He crosses his arms in front of his chest, and Katara can see his muscles moving on his back.

It sucks. She admires his torso so much, and the first thing he does seeing her naked, is screaming like a little girl and pressing his eyes shut. She thought she was a little more attractive to him.

"But I want to take a bath without my clothes!" she hisses.

He tenses again. "Fine. I'm going to ask if someone's here next time, before I come in."

She opens her mouth, and swims a little closer to the edge. She grabs his ankle, and he flinches. "Zuko?"

"Hm?"

"Was it…" She feels herself blushing again. "Was it really so bad?"

Her boyfriend seems to take a deep breath. "Spirits, no. I just thought we weren't at that point yet."

She licks her lips. "Yes, we're not, but… you were just surprised, right?"

"Surprised and shocked," he admits, his voice sounding a bit amused. "But I liked what I saw."

She grins widely, the red colour still on her cheeks. "Then close your eyes, turn around, and give me a kiss."


	19. Chapter 19

_Hey everyone! I'm sorry for updating this so late, but I had so many ideas for this prompt, and I couldn't decide if I wanted Katara and Zuko to act friendly towards each other or not, if there was peace or war, etc. I wrote down four different stories, and in the end settled for this one. I hope you'll like it! _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender. _

* * *

**Day 19: Avatara **

His anticipation grows with every minute. These damn pirates! What if they don't come back? Or what if they take her and decide to keep her?

Zuko's hands clench to fists and he grits his teeth.

Sitting in the bushes to wait for a bunch of pirates to appear with the Avatar is not really how he imagined his moment of glory, but he also didn't think the Avatar to be a sassy, little girl.

That should have made capturing her easier, but somehow those children are pretty clever and have luck on their side everywhere they go.

Zuko's now imagined moment of glory is also not what he imagined. Instead of grown man marching in here with a tied up girl, a completely free girl runs out from under the trees, straight forward, in Zuko's direction, the grown men chasing her with loud shouts and weapon clattering.

Zuko smirks. That's even better. This way he will still kind of catch her.

He tenses and waits for his moment like a predator for his prey. He grins at that thought, since it would be pretty fitting in all scenarios. The Fire Prince stalking the Avatar, fire devouring water, a man hunting a woman.

She's close enough, and Zuko jumps.

He lands right in front of her feet, startling her so much that she only gasps, but doesn't have time to retreat, and he grabs her wrists. She won't be able to fight without being able to waterbend.

Zuko pulls her closer to his chest so that she hasn't enough space to try to kick him or do something equally desperate.

"Now I've got you!" he growls.

"NO! Let me go!" she screams and wiggles around.

Zuko has to pull her right to his chest and wrap his arms around her in order to stop her from hurting him somehow. His crew isn't here, only Uncle and a bunch of pirates he doesn't know he can trust. Why didn't he think about bringing ropes and a gag?

"I must admit, she is a feast for the eyes, but you could have got yourself an even prettier lady in town without all hat effort," one of the pirates grins. His hair is long and he wears green clothes, his plump lips spread in a disgusting smirk.

Zuko scowls. "I don't plan to use her for that," he spats, then quickly turns the girl around so that her back is pressed against his chest.

"As if I would ever let a cow pig like him hmpmmpf!" He presses his hand against her mouth to stop her indignant complaining.

"So you wouldn't mind if we had a little fun with her fist, and then let you have her?" the green clad pirate asks, still grinning.

Zuko scowls. First of all, this is _his_ prey. Secondly, this is a little girl! How dare those pirates be so honourless? But then again, they are pirates. "You'll have to get through me first!"

He tenses and looks around, seeing how a dozen pirates get into a fighting position, and the captain smirks. "Well, then, we don't think the Fire Lord will miss his banished, outcast son."

Iroh steps next to Zuko, and Zuko has to stop himself from yelling at him for not making an appearance earlier. "Have I ever told you how I got the name Dragon of the West?"

The pirates don't seem to care and still run forward.

Zuko immediately turns around to shield the Avatar's body, then he throws her on his shoulder and runs away from the massive fire wall, trusting that Iroh will follow them.

Zuko runs for a while, leaving the noises of the battle behind him, hoping that Uncle got every one of those bastards.

The Avatar doesn't stop screaming and wiggling, and Zuko ponders if he should just knock her out. But her head hangs on his shoulder, so he does the only thing he can think of. He hits her behind.

"What the seal's shit? Are you crazy, you pervert?" Her little fists drum onto his back.

He hits her again, harder. "Shut your mouth or I'm gonna hit your head next to force you to shut up!" he growls and strengthens his grip on her to make his threat more believable. It's not that he wouldn't do it, but he'd rather not do it.

That shuts her up, and Zuko sighs, runs faster and can already see how he will deliver the Avatar to his father,

But he shouldn't have kept running close to the river.

Soon, his feet are covered in ice, and he falls on the ground, hits it with his face. It hurts like Oni's shit, and even before his vision gets dark Zuko notices the pain to be too strong not to fall into unconsciousness from it.

When Zuko wakes up, his head doesn't hurt anymore. It feels like he never fell in the first place. And he's fricking cold.

His eyes open wide, but all he can see are leaves and branches, obscuring the sky. A thick layer of ice covers his body and is the reason for him being so cold.

Damn, if he hadn't been cold for dragons know how long he could easily heat up and melt the ice, but he feels way too cold to even think about fire. How long was he out? And where the magma is he?

A brown face with ocean blue eyes and rose pink lips comes into his view. Brown, blue, pink. Those are the colours he associates with her face. He could never forget it.

Zuko glares at her with all the animosity he can master, but it's hard, when she doesn't look angry herself. She looks more like she's tired.

Her eyes are wide, fearful, but not angry. Confused. "You saved me from the pirates," she says, as if she can't understand how and why that happened.

Zuko frowns. "So? I'm no monster."

The Avatar keeps staring down at him and her facial expression suddenly softens. "Maybe not. Killing you would be the easiest way. This way my friends and I wouldn't have to fear that you keep chasing us. But I'm no monster, either."

This is simply humiliating. Zuko is so vulnerable to the Avatar that she could easily kill him. She even thinks about it! Well, it's not like he's not used to girls who are younger than him trying to kill him.

So she walks away. She lets him freeze to death.

He grits his teeth and takes deep breaths, hoping to connect with his inner fire again to melt this icy blanket.

It seems like his day of glory hasn't been here yet.

* * *

_Thanks for reading!:D _


	20. Chapter 20

_I'm late. Again. I know. And I'm sorry, but I just couldn't decide on a fairy tale! There are so many, and how do I know what really counts as a fairy tale? I was tempted to make Zuko bite into a poisoned apple and die, waiting for true love's first kiss to save him, but I chose to go with something else, because I'm a Disney and a musical fan! And what would a fairy tale these days be without songs, hm? _

**_Important:_** _For you to understand the following, you should have watched Disney's _Tangled _at least once, and it would be great if you knew the melody of "I See the Light", but I guess the song also works without knowing the melody. But if you haven't seen _Tangled_, you might not get this story's connection to fairy tales. And if you haven't seen _Tangled_, you should really go and watch it! _

_And about the song, well, it's difficult to write song lyrics in another language, so please tell me if there are any mistakes. _

_To make the song in the story more understandable: What is printed in italics below, is the song. If there are no quotation marks, it means the song is in the character's head, or kind of comes from the off, but only one character would be able to hear it. If there are quotation marks, they really sing. And the melody, as well as some word patterns are from "I See the Light" by Alan Menken and Glen Slater. I just wrote some Zutara stuff to that melody. _

_I hope you'll enjoy, and please let me know what you think! _

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender nor Disney's Tangled.  
_

* * *

**Day 20: Fairy Tale **

Sitting in the courtyard of the Fire Lord's summer house and watching Zuko teaching Aang firebending became a habit.

Zuko watched her strangely, when Katara sat down for the first time, other than Aang who grinned and invited her to stay the whole day. Katara felt a little unsure at how reluctant Zuko seemed, but she still stayed.

She doesn't know why she asked to watch them in the first place. It's not like she doesn't trust Zuko anymore, but after she once came across them training there was just something inside her that told her to stay and watch.

Seeing how Aang is improving is great and makes her proud, but seeing the moves her enemies are likely going to pull is a big help, too.

"Hey, hey, hey! Everyone!" Sokka yells, running out of the house.

Suki and Toph follow Sokka in a slower pace, Toph looking annoyed, while Suki smiles softly.

Aang and Zuko stop their practice, and Aang runs over to Sokka, Zuko and Katara following at a slower pace.

"You've got to see this!" Sokka grins and unrolls a scroll.

"Ugh, not another play about us!" Katara groans.

"And please nothing else by the Ember Island Players," Zuko adds.

Sokka frowns. "What? No! But there's a festival in town!" He points to the poster he just unrolled.

It stands there in bold black characters: **Firelight Festival to celebrate the end of summer. Stalls wit games and food, music and theatre. Watch when the lanterns light the entire island! **

Katara blinks.

"Oh," Zuko murmurs. "I didn't realise the festival is now."

"You knew about that?" Sokka asks, taking a step closer towards Zuko.

He raises an eyebrow. "I spent every summer of my childhood here. Of course I know about this festival. I just forgot that it would be right now."

"But it's great, right?" Sokka beams. "So can we guys go? Please?"

Aang breathes in, his lips spread into a wide grin, as he wants to answer, when Katara shakes her head. "I don't know, Sokka. The last Fire Nation festival didn't end that well for us."

"You've been to a Fire Nation festival before?" Suki asks curiously.

"Which one?" Zuko wants to know.

Katara shrugs. "I don't remember its name, but the people wore masks. It was back in the Earth Kingdom in an occupied town, close to the colonies."

"It was called Fire Days Festival, and it celebrated everything that had to do with the Fire Nation," Sokka explains.

Zuko raises both his eyebrows. "Never heard of it."

Sokka grimaces. "Well, when you're raised in the Fire Nation it's probably not hard to forget your nation, but in the Earth Kingdom it makes sense to celebrate it."

Zuko shrugs.

Katara frowns. "Okay, but I still think we shouldn't go. Aang doesn't even have to look for a firebender teacher, so there's no reason for us to go."

Aang looks defeated, but Katara refuses to get a bad conscience. She's just saving their group from her brother's dumb ideas.

"Yeah, but we might actually have fun?" Sokka asks sarcastically.

"Leave her alone, Sokka. Katara doesn't know what that is," Toph grins, but punches Katara at the same time, and Katara understand that she didn't mean it.

"Haha."

"Seriously, Katara! I'll make you an Avatar promise that no one will see my arrow, and I won't airbend this time!" Aang presses his palm to his fist, bows, and talks with the voice he used to imitate a noble in Ba Sing Se.

Katara only gives him a deadpan look. She knows what she'll get from Aang's Avatar promises.

"You airbent during a Fire Nation festival? And people saw your arrow?" Zuko snarls, his eyes wide.

Aang grins sheepishly.

"I can't believe you managed to evade me all this time," Zuko murmurs, and Katara has to grin. After she forgave him, she must admit that his jokes about once being evil and chasing them around are pretty funny. She certainly wouldn't mind him chasing after her now.

Her eyes widen at her own thoughts, and she flushes deeply.

Well, like a game of chase. Like tag. What children are playing. Just for fun. With all their other friends. She certainly didn't mean him chasing after her alone, in a forest, and…

"So it's decided!" Sokka yells and throws his fist into the air. "We're going!"

"What?" Katara shrieks. How did this happen? How long did she think about playing tag?

oOo

One thing that relieves Katara a little is their disguises. They're way better than just a hood. Although Zuko only has got a hood for disguise. He could need a mask.

Too bad the Firelight Festival is not about masks, but about… light! Who would have thought?

Thousands of candles are decorating the town, as do thousands of flowers.

To show the end of summer, the flowers will all burn at midnight. Only the Fire Nation can come up with something like that.

Katara becomes a bit sad, watching all the beautiful flowers, knowing they haven't got long to live anymore.

Zuko and Toph wander off by their own after a while, wanting to check out a stall with grilled fish. Katara would have liked to go with them, but Aang already tugs her to a large stage with many people in front of it. The play is _The Boy in the Iceberg_. Katara drags Aang away.

They find a fruit stall, where all different kinds of fruit are chopped into tiny pieces by broad, tattooed man with sables. Aang is fascinated, while Katara wishes to get away fast.

When they are finished, they find Sokka and Suki again, and after a while also Toph and Zuko.

They stay together for the rest of the evening, playing games at stalls and stopping Sokka from ordering a whole grilled hippo cow.

When it's close to midnight, Zuko clears his throat to get everyone's attention. "They'll soon let the lanterns soar. If you want to see where it starts, we should get back to the market place…"

He's not even finished, when Aang yells "Last one who's there is a lame duck snail!"

"Aang!" Sokka roars and runs after his friend.

Sighing, Suki follows, jogging.

Toph stands between Katara and Zuko, her hands in her pockets. She balances on one foot. "Well, I'm gonna go with them. And you two should really check out the view from up the hill."

Zuko's head whips around to Toph, and Katara frowns. What's this about?

"Zuko told me you'd have the best view up there. You should so there," Toph goes on, nodding up the mountain.

Katara grimaces. "I don't know. I think the others shouldn't be without us. Aang and Sokka are a bit too excited to stay calm…"

"I'll take care of them. Suki and I will manage," Toph puts her off and starts walking backwards.

Katara shrugs and turns around to Zuko, whose cheeks are redder than usual.

He clears his throat again. "Well, uh, we can also go with Toph…"

Katara shakes her head. No, now that she's relatively reassured, she'd really like to see the lanterns from up there where they would have the best view.

"Nope, let's go to that hill of yours," she says and links her arm with Zuko's.

They walk out of town, and across wide fields, climbing up hills, on which some koala sheep are grazing. It's pitch black out here, away from the lights of the town, so Zuko bends a flame to light their way.

He points up a hill. "There is a bench up there. That's where we can watch the lanterns best."

After having climbed the hill, they sit down on said bench, and wait for the lanterns to soar into the sky.

"It's beautiful up here," Katara says. "Even without the lanterns. The lights in the town, the ocean out there, and the stars." She takes a deep breath.

"Yeah," Zuko says softly. "When I was little, we always came up here to light out lanterns. Oh, and that reminds me!" He bends down to reach under the bench.

Katara is curious and leans forward to see what he's doing.

He pulls a lantern from under the bench and lights it.

Katara sits up straight again and sucks in a breath. The pattern on the lantern shows waves. And both Water Tribe symbols are painted on two sides of the paper construction in coral red.

"Where did you get this from?" she asks in awe, reaching out to touch it.

"Bought it."

"But the Water Tribe symbols?"

"Painted it."

"What?" She looks up at Zuko's face, at his smiling eyes, and the only thing she can see is soft- and kindness. How could he ever have been on the Fire Nation's side?

_Every day, my friends and I were chased_

_Every day, I was so afraid_

_But now it's time to forgive him for all the things he has done_

_All this time I could only see his rage_

_The enemy always had his face_

_But here and now the only thing I can see is a friend_

In that moment the first lantern soars up from the town. Gasping in excitement, Katara turns around to watch. She sees how the whole city lights up with the lantern's light. She sits on the edge of the bench, grabbing it with her fingers, leaning forward.

It's so beautiful.

All this light in the night, it's because of fire. There's fire inside these lanterns.

_Now I understand his fire_

_It is warm and it is light_

_Now I can embrace his fire_

_It is good and it is life_

_It is here and beautiful _

_Maybe things can really change_

_All this time I only saw the enemy_

_But now I can see you_

Katara looks back at Zuko, who hands her the lantern. She smiles widely at him, gently takes the lantern from him, and slowly pushes it up into the sky.

oOo

Zuko watches with a fast beating heart how fascinated Katara is by this tradition. He hoped she would like it, but seeing her like this is new to him. Like him, she always seems so serious and adult, but he feels glad that she still has this glow in her eyes. He feels warm, only because of her happiness. He wonders how he could ever wish to harm her.

_My whole life was dictated to me_

_My whole life, I was never free_

_But here I am, going my own way, having sided with them_

_My whole world had turned upside down_

_But she is stabilising me alone_

_And here we are, together as maybe more than friends_

"Wow!" Katara exclaims, then turns to look at him. "Thank you so much for bringing me up here! The view is beautiful, and surely better than watching it from town."

Zuko takes a nervous, shaky breath and smiles. "You're welcome. I, uh, thanks for coming up here with me."

His heart almost misses a beat, when she boldly grabs his hand. "No, problem, Zuko! I wouldn't want you to wander around on your own here."

_Now I understand her water_

_It's not harsh and it's not cold_

_Now I can embrace her water_

_It runs around me, gently and soft_

_Splashing waves that are beautiful _

_Maybe things can really change_

_All this time I saw you as the weak_

_But now I can see you_

The lights of the thousands of lanterns, soaring and dancing in the sky, light one side of their faces, as they look each other in the eyes, for a long time.

Zuko doesn't know what to say, and Katara doesn't want to ruin the moment. What can they do to express their feelings?

"_Now I understand you whole_," they sing.

"_And your water is gentle and soft_," Zuko sings and grabs her other hand.

"_Now I can see so much of you_," both sing again.

"_And your fire is warm and soothes_," Katara sings.

"_What can we be here and now_?" they sing together.

"_Maybe things can really change_

Chorus repeated:

_In times of peace we might be more_

_Than just allies fighting a war_

_In times of peace I might find you_

_To be the one at my side_

_In the end I'd be there for you _

_Maybe things can really change._"

Zuko raises a hand to cup Katara's cheek and touch her hair. She closes her eyes shortly, as she leans forward.

"_Once we were enemies at war_

_But now we're so much more_

_That's what I love you for"_

Exhaling, Zuko leans forward, ready to finally kiss Katara, when he can see two Fire Nation soldiers walking in their direction. They are far away, but Zuko and Katara have to get out of here.

He quickly retreats, jumps up and pulls Katara with him. "Fire Nation soldiers. We gotta go."

Katara nods, and lets him drag her down the hill, back into town.

Their hands are still tightly connected and they don't let go of each other for the rest of the night.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! And please let me know what you think, especially of the song...:D _


	21. Chapter 21

_Hi, I know I'm late again, but it's still the twenty first in some parts of the world. Just not where I am..._

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender nor The Legend of Korra. _

* * *

**Day 21: Aurora Borealis**

"This festival was even better than the one last year," Zuko says with his thoughtful voice.

Katara smiles, knowing he thought about the improvements very carefully before even saying this. She raises an eyebrow at him. "Well, I don't know. There weren't many differences."

The snow scrunches under her feet, as they make their way back downtown, where Katara's house is.

"It was always warm and comfortable," Zuko muses. "Simple. But this year there was way more."  
Katara scoffs. "Just to impress these Northerners. I don't understand why this was necessary. We're not like the North, and we shouldn't be."

Memories about a time when there had been strong tensions between the sister tribes surfaced. That all had started with the South becoming like the North, too, but it was even worse when the South wanted the North to like them. Katara is already in an age in which she doesn't care at all what other people and certainly some stuck up idiots on the other side of the world think about her tribe. She is proud about being born in the South. She had always hated all this royalty fuss.

She briefly gets a bad conscience, considering who's accompanying her, but Zuko always ruled differently. Royalty in the Fire Nation is different.

"I think the North is still not okay with you being independent," Zuko says, and Katara takes a deep breath. He's probably right. After ruling a nation for almost sixty years he has to know this stuff, after all.

"Well, I think we could be even more independent," she replies stubbornly and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

Zuko chuckles and briefly lays a hand on her shoulder.

She smiles and leans into the touch.

Katara doesn't have a lot more joys these days other than her children, grandchildren and teaching. She has friends, but they were never as close as she was with Toph, Suki, Zuko, or even Aang before they got together. And knowing this deep, loyal, and trusting friendship almost pushed down all the others.

She hasn't seen Toph in years, probably almost ten years now. Toph visited her twice, after Aang died, but Katara isn't mad at her for that. This is just how Toph is.

Suki suffers from a strong mental illness, forgetting everything and everyone. She lives in a hospital, since Sokka died.

Zuko is the only one from back then who Katara still meets. He often visited, when Aang was still alive, and after Aang died, the visits became more frequent. They were the people closest to Aang, and spending time together helped them to get over the loss of their best friend and husband.

Now, Zuko became Katara's dearest friend, and she doesn't know what she would do without him.

"Regardless, I liked the festival," the former Fire Lord states with a nod. "Thank you for inviting me."

Katara laughs. "I'm still very surprised you even came. I didn't think you would leave your hot summer in the Fire Nation to come to the South Pole during the coldest and darkest time!"

"I also came last year!" he objects. "I'm not scared like this by cold and darkness, Katara. I still have my fire breath." To demonstrate, he breathes fire out of his mouth and nostrils.

Katara rolls her eyes. "Show off." She pushes him slightly, and lets out a surprised yelp, when he pushes back.

"Hey, my bones are not what they used to be!" she complains.

Zuko gives her a deadpan look. "Mine wouldn't either, if I spent my last years in a place, where ice doesn't melt."

Her lips twitch, as something catches her eye. Confused, she looks up at the sky.

She thought she would just see stars, but what she can see now is unlike anything she has ever seen in her whole life.

Colourful lights move across the sky. Green, yellow, pink and violet waves obscure the sky and lighten the night.

Zuko settles in a fighting stance, his fire daggers ready.

Katara gives him a quizzical look. "What are you doing?"

"What is that?" he gives back. "It could be something evil from space, wanting to harm us."

With age, he got a bit weirder, reminding her a lot of his uncle or even King Bumi sometimes.

"No," she says softly with a smile and lays a hand on his arm. His fire daggers extinguish immediately.

"Those are the spirits dancing in the sky. They haven't done this for hundreds of years. It's a very old legend. This means, Korra opened the spirit portal."


	22. Chapter 22

**Day 22: Blood Moon**

The whole world is flooded with red light, and the air seems to stand still. No wind blows, as the raven cats fly across the sky, crowing loudly.

Zuko proceeds into the forest, following the scent of blood.

Suddenly he stands in the middle of a clearing, watching as two of his friends dig themselves out of the ground.

Aang's and Toph's eyes are completely black, as they run to attack Sokka and Katara, who just appeared next to them.

The siblings' bodies are ripped apart by their friends. Sokka doesn't say anything, while Katara screams loudly. She begs her friends to stop, says that this is not them.

Zuko cannot move. He can only watch and he hasn't even got a body. He is a spirit, has no matter and can't interfere. He can't move forward, can't stop his friends from ripping his other friends apart.

There is so much blood on Katara and on Sokka. Pieces of flesh are torn from their bodies, and blood rushes by the litre from their veins.

Zuko wishes he could scream, but it is futile.

He tries to scream, tries it very hard, very loud, but it is almost impossible. He barely hears his own voice.

Katara's screams are louder, piercing through his ears, but then they suddenly become deeper. Katara's voice starts sounding like a man's voice.

Zuko is confused, but keeps screaming, and suddenly realised that Katara's voice is his own.

He opens his eyes wide and sits up with a start.

His room is dark, nothing is red, and there are also no hurt friends, no possessed friends and no one is screaming but him.

His throat hurts as he takes in deep gulps of air and starts coughing. Only then does he realise that Katara's arm lies around his shoulders, her head presses against his other shoulder and she strokes his back, murmuring calming and soothing words.

He raises a hand and touches her arm. Swallowing he notices that his dream was from the past. He had only thought about Katara as a friend, not his girlfriend.

"Sorry," he murmurs. "I, uh..."

"It's okay," Katara whispers.

He grabs her and pulls her onto his lap to hug her, hold her close and check that she is okay.

She makes soft, complaining noises.

But then his hands find something warm and wet. It feels like blood, and it smells like blood, too.

He pushes Katara away, panicked, only caring about why there's blood. "Katara!" he whimpers, trying to find the source of all the blood. Is she injured?

Katara struggles against him. "What the deep sea, Zuko?!"

"I dreamt you were dying! Why is there blood on your thighs?" His voice cracks with panic and fear.

Katara manages to grab his hands and hold them in place. He stares into her eyes, and thinks he imagines the red colour on her cheeks.

"Hey, no, it's okay," she says to calm him down. "I'm just on my moontime."

Zuko blinks. "What?"

Katara takes a deep breath. "My period? It's very strong, that's why I was so reluctant to sleep in a bed with you, because I always get the sheets very bloody." She bites down her lip.

"So you're not injured?" Zuko asks, his eyes still wide, but tries to calm down a bit.

Katara shakes her head. "No. I'm okay."

"Okay?"

"Well, I have cramps and my back hurts, but that's normal. And it's only every four weeks, so don't worry." She clasps his face in her hands and smiles reassuringly at him.

Zuko breathes to calm his inner fire and also his panicked thoughts. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he wants to know.

Katara raises an eyebrow. "You could task a group of scientists to find something that will make me stop bleeding so much."

Zuko lets a smile show on his lips, an almost desperate, but also relieved one. He raises his hands to hug her, but realises they are still coated in blood.

"Uh, I'll go and get some towels," she murmurs, grumbling.

Zuko frowns. "Are you hurting now? Maybe you should take a bath. I can take care of the rest."

"That's sweet, but I won't take a bath. The cramps don't go away this way, but I'll clean myself up." She kisses him shortly and stands up from the bed to walk to the bathroom.

Zuko quickly gets out of the bed, too, and follows her. "Then I'll lay towels for you on the sheets," he offers.

Katara blinks, as if she were surprised and then her gaze becomes suddenly very soft. "I love you," she whispers.

A smile spreads on his lips. He can't get tired of hearing this. He can't believe he's that lucky to have her. That her voice doesn't scream anymore and that the only bleeding going on is from her moontime, which is totally natural and normal.


	23. Chapter 23

**Day 23: After the Rain**

Katara hates the rainy season in the Fire Nation. It is quite ironical, since she's a waterbender, but she can't help it.

It's not that she doesn't like being surrounded by her element all the time or even getting wet, when she's outside, but she doesn't like the darkness the clouds bring with them. It's wonderfully light and warm when it's sunny in the Fire Nation, and in Katara's opinion it could stay like this forever.

Not to mention that the rainy season in the Fire Nation doesn't mean nice, gentle rain. No, it means storms, tornados and hurricanes. The trees all fall, the wind is so strong, and the rain patters against the roof, as if it would crack any second. To make it short, Katara is afraid of it.

She flinches at any too loud sound which comes from above, and she hates to see the flash of lightning.

Usually, it's still okay, though, because she's never alone. There are always people who she trusts around her.

But Zuko is not here. He's gone to Ba Sing Se, and since Katara was ill when he left, she couldn't go with him. Now with all the storms, it would be too dangerous to travel to the Earth Kingdom.

Katara still meets with Mai sometimes, and she knows the servants and guards around the palace, as well as the nobles. But none of them gives her a feeling of safety. Whenever Zuko is gone, Katara starts missing her friends more.

When he's there, Katara can lean on him, she can meet with him, and the absence of her brother, Aang, and Toph doesn't feel so suffocating.

Katara decides she doesn't like it in the Fire Nation. It's a country of extremes, and extremes only. It's too hot, too humid, too stormy, too windy, too rainy, and too smoky. It is too much of everything, just like the people here.

Everyone here is always extreme. Mai is extremely apathetic, the servants are extremely friendly and obeying, the nobles are extremely annoying, and the guards always stand extremely stiff.

And Zuko... He's just extreme. In everything he's doing. He's extremely disinterested in tea, and he extremely loves his uncle. He has an extreme hero complex, honour complex, and a father complex. Since Ursa returned, at least his extreme mother complex became less, but there's nothing about Zuko that Katara doesn't consider too much. The warmth of his gaze, the tenderness of his smile, the safety she feels, whenever he's with her. The way he gets irritated, or annoyed, how he sometimes looks like a tired parent, or how soft his hair looks.

Staring out of the window, Katara frowns. Wait, what about how angry he can be? How irritating and arrogant? How extremely easily he can get her hopping mad. Yeah, he's extreme in everything. In his good and bad qualities.

Licking her lips, Katara tries to think about her friendship with Mai, and how it had started, because Katara had been angry at Zuko. It had been right after Mai's and Zuko's last breakup, which was now almost two years ago.

Mai had only come to the palace to throw some knives at Zuko's curtains, when she had seen Katara already flooding the Fire Lord's rooms.

Now, Katara can't even remember why she had been angry at Zuko. But she remembers that she immediately forgave him, after he had come to her to ask about his flooded room. He had been steaming, looking frightening, but although the almighty Fire Lord had been made fun of, he hadn't done anything to her. Not even demanded some punishment or amends. A few days later Katara had brought him his favourite cake and apologised. He had only smiled and said it was alright.

Slandering about Zuko had been what had brought Mai and Katara together. Mai held still some anger at him she needed to deal with, while she realised what a bad boyfriend he had been, and Katara was easily getting irritated with Zuko.

Maybe she just missed hanging with a girl, or she noticed she didn't like Zuko, but slandering about him felt good. As if things would suddenly be right again.

Thinking about his good qualities and about the fact his extremeness sometimes matched hers was certainly not appropriate.

Biting her lip, Katara starts to play with a strand of her hair.

With time, Katara and Mai stopped slandering about Zuko. They still did, whenever Katara was mad at him, but it wasn't their main topic anymore. When Katara didn't get reminded of Zuko's bad qualities all the time, she started to think more about his good ones. And to like them. And to accept his bad qualities.

A part of her wants to tell him what she just discovered. She is a friend who accepts even his bad sides, just like he's doing with her.

She sighs. But he won't come back until the rainy season ends, and she wants to tell him about her discovery personally.

Time passes, weeks passes, and Katara continues hating the rain and thunder, especially the lightning, and continues meeting with Mai, some nobles, and going into the city. She writes letters to her family and friends, some to Zuko, although she wonders if the letters even make it out of the Fire Nation with all this wind and rain. She doesn't receive any answers.

There is a festival in the capital, when the rainy season ends, but this year it takes a bit longer. The festival is held under tarps and umbrellas. Katara thought that the sun would finally come out again after the festival, but no.

It's two weeks later, when there's the first full dry day in months. And five days after that, the first full sunny day graces the Fire Nation with its light and warmth.

Katara immediately convinces Mai to spend the day with her on the beach. Finally, Katara can enjoy her element again, and she missed the sun and the heat so much!

After growing up in the South Pole, Katara thought she would hate this weather and love the stormy season, but she had been so wrong.

The rainy season is sad and dark. It feels lonely.

With the sun shining, Katara feels so comforted and warm all the time. She doesn't have to worry about freezing to death anymore at all.

Mai isn't interested in doing anything, but that's fine with Katara. They talk a bit, then both want to do something on their own. Mai reads a book, and Katara goes swimming, then she builds a sandcastle.

The day rushes past, and before Katara knows what's going on, it's evening and time to go back. The sun is slowly setting, and Katara's stomach growling, as she says goodbye to Mai in front of the palace gates.

Before Katara goes to her room, she walks to the kitchens to get a plate with fried dough sticks and exotic fruits. It's more of a breakfast meal, but Katara has discovered that she loves sweet things in the evening.

Nibbling at a fried dough stick, she nods to the guards in front of her room in greeting, smiling through the dough.

When she opens the door, she's... surprised? Shocked? Blown away? Confused?

There are red and blue rose petals lying on the floor, leading to the door to the patio. Next to the rose petals, candles outline the way she should go. The candles are red and blue, too.

Katara contorts her face. Oh no. Some poor guy fell in love with her and will now try his move. Sighing, she walks on, wondering who this will be, and how she will let him down. She doesn't want to hurt anyone or be cruel. She knows how heartache feels like after Aang and she broke up, after all.

Stepping out on the patio, she can see that her admirer is broad built and tall. He has straight black hair, falling onto his shoulder blades and pale skin, which she can see on his hands, which are clasped behind his back. He stands stiffly and in a wide stance.

Katara sighs

Great. This guy looks important. He probably won't take a 'no' that easily.

He must have heard her, because he turns around then to look at her.

Katara almost lets her plate fall to the ground, as her jaw goes slack. She stares with wide eyes for probably too long, then she clears her throat. "Are you in the wrong room? Or wrong patio?" she quickly and nervously adds. Damn, why is she nervous? She takes a deep breath to calm herself and her speeding heart.

Zuko grimaces. "No. I'm on the right patio."

Katara raises her eyebrows. "Uh-huh." Suddenly she realises that she's only wearing her swimsuit with a large silk shawl wrapped around her hips. Her swimsuit doesn't show her stomach, as do those of many others, but she still feels a little too naked. Not like Zuko looks anywhere he shouldn't look, but just standing in front of him gives her goosebumps, makes her stomach dance, her heart race, and her mouth dries out. Her head feels light. This is another extreme thing about him. He always makes her feel so many extreme things.

"Uh, Katara, listen..." He scratches the side of his head, and Katara wonders if he didn't cut his hair in the Earth Kingdom. It hadn't been very long, when he left. And now it was almost as long as her own. His hair must grow incredibly fast.

"While I was gone, I missed you. And I wondered why, because it was very strange, and I didn't expect to feel like this at all, but I realised that I like you. I like you more than just as a friend. And I invite you to this," he points at a table, on which a candle holder, plates and cups are set. "As a date, and I want to ask you if you'll give me a chance."

Katara's eyes are still as wide as saucers, as she observes the Fire Lord in an awkward and inferior position. It almost looks like he's afraid of her.

Swallowing, she tries to process all this. Zuko likes her? Like likes likes her? How? What? Why? Since when?

Looking at the table, she smiles at how thoughtful everything seems to be planned, and Zuko is not so well known for planning well. And maybe this isn't planned well, after all.

They haven't seen each other in months, and Katara could already have a new boyfriend or she just forgot how Zuko is. But for him to directly ask her after he noticed that he likes her like that is typical behaviour of his. Extreme.

Katara is happy that Zuko is back. She feels safe again. But she doesn't know...

Studying him, she imagines how it would be to kiss him, or to sit next to him on a couch with his arm around her shoulders, how it would be to hold hands with him.

Her stomach flutters in an excited way at those thoughts, while her head is full with blood that is pumped so fast by her heart, and then there's this connection between them, drawing her closer. It's nothing physical, only psychological. But it's this part that convinces her the most.

She blushes fiercely. "I'll give you a chance," she says, then puts her plate down on the table. Throwing her arms around Zuko, who is smiling happily, she buries her face in his chest. "Welcome back, by the way," she murmurs.

"Thanks," Zuko repeats, and hugs her back, holding her tightly until Katara's doughs sticks are all cold and soft instead of hot and crispy.


	24. Chapter 24

_Hi! This is an AU again. The Miraculous AU actually. I hope you like it!:)_

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender, nor Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. _

* * *

**Day 24: You're in love with him / her**

Since a few days, Zuko has had conflicted feelings.

He's been in love with Painted Lady for almost one year and he doesn't think that has changed, but lately he feels something similar for a friend of his. He feels hyperaware of her presence right behind him in the class room, he stares at her during every break, and after school he always wastes time, so that he can be the last one there, when she has to go, and so they can talk to each other.

Katara treats him normally, though, so she doesn't seem to have realised that he changed.

Zuko has been visiting Katara in his Blue Spirit form quite often lately. He enjoys her presence and talking to her, especially in the evening, when it is so quiet and lonely in his house that he just has to go visit her. Of course, he has got Buryu, but the little spirit has the sensitivity of a pea.

For two weeks, Zuko spent almost every evening in Katara's bedroom. They talked, laughed, played video games, and ate mochis. When it got late, she always became cuddly and pressed her head against his shoulder. Sometimes, he hugged her until she fell asleep.

And yesterday it all became worse. They were cuddling, talking, until they disagreed about something, and then she tickled him into surrender. The problem was that she was lying half on top of him on her bed, looking down at his eyes. And then they kissed. That was Zuko's first kiss!

It was a great kiss, a wonderful kiss, and Zuko left straight after, because he is in love with Painted Lady, and Katara is just a friend! How could she seduce him? Maybe he isn't strong enough, or he doesn't care that much about feelings like he thought. Of course, there's a third explanation, but he doesn't even want to think about this possibility.

Not like Katara isn't pretty, she's beautiful, and she is not only a great friend, she's the best person he knows. She always helps others before she thinks about herself, she stands up for those who are too afraid to, and she fights injustice. She's one of the few who are brave enough to stand up against Azula. Katara is honest and kind, and her smile is so radiant that he wants to bath in it.

Her laughter sounds through the cafeteria, as she chuckles at something Suki said to her.

"Why are you staring at my sister like a starving, drooling wolf?" Sokka asks bluntly.

Zuko's eyes widen, and he quickly averts his gaze to look at his best friend. "What? I wasn't!"

"Yeah, then I assume you were looking at another girl in that direction? Maybe my girlfriend?" Sokka probes, his eyes slowly getting this gleam of craziness.

Zuko gives him a deadpan look. "Suki is nice, but I'm not interested in her, nor your sister," he says, his cheeks unfortunately betraying him.

Sokka raises an eyebrow and hums, stroking his imagined beard. "You're a good guy, Zuko. You're my best friend. You have my permission to court Katara, but if you ever break her heart, I'll pretend to forgive you for a few weeks, but then when you least expect it, I'll come at you with a SNEAK ATTACK!"

Other students turn their heads to look at them questioningly.

"As long as you'll yell it out loud like you just did, I'll be fine," Zuko answers, then shrugs. "Besides, I am not interested in Katara!"

Sokka's eyes narrow. "Why? You don't think my sister is pretty?"

Zuko rolls his eyes and takes another bite from his lunch. As usual, his lunch box is organised like a bento, and it looks like it's straight from an advertisement of a perfect high class bento restaurant.

"Of course she is," Zuko murmurs, and blushes, thinking about that kiss with Katara. It was a really good kiss. Her lips had felt so soft and warm, and her closeness, her warm body, all right next to and on top of him… In that moment he didn't want to leave this place ever again.

"Okay, well, you don't fool me, Zuko. Even a blind person can see what's going on."

Toph turns around to look challengingly in their direction. One of her eyebrows rises. Aang, who she just talked to, looks at them, too, now.

"No offense," Sokka says to Toph, who starts grinning.

Zuko tenses.

The little girl walks closer, pretty sure of where they're sitting thanks to Sokka's loud voice.

"Are you talking about the fact that Zuko's in love with Katara?" she asks, grinning evilly.

Zuko frowns. "I'm not!" he hisses.

Aang widens his eyes. "You really are? Because I think she likes you a lot!"

"I just said I wasn't!" Zuko shouts, quickly looking if Katara noticed his loud outburst.

She did and now she's looking at him questioningly, as if she wanted to know if everything was alright. Because she always cares about other people.

Zuko quickly looks away, fighting the heat in his cheeks. Shit! He is trying to convince his friends (and himself) that he's not in love with Katara! He loves Painted Lady! He loves his partner, his friend, this ethereally beautiful girl who is so determined, and who orders him around, and sometimes seems like she doesn't care about him…

What? No! Painted Lady is great and perfect! And besides, she has been very kind and sweet to him lately. Her sarcastic undertone hasn't been that prominent, and she seems to care more about his wellbeing lately.

Yeah, there is no way that he's in love with Katara…

oOo

The third outfit also doesn't convince Katara. Urgh, this top is doing nothing for her!

Why is she so nervous anyway?

It's just Blue Spirit who will come to her, not Zuko!

Blue Spirit is her friend, that's all. And one kiss means nothing! Absolutely nothing! Although the kiss had been astoundingly good, his lips so soft and slow, almost lazy, but she could feel the bubbling passion behind the kiss, making her feel the most female she ever had. Goosebumps spread all over her body, and her stomach did funny things.

Katara presses her palms against her forehead. "Urgh!"

Chiyu floats next to Katara's head, looking at her in the mirror. "Wow, you look great, Katara! But you didn't tell me you would go out tonight," says the little white, red striped spirit.

Katara smiles at her friend, who gifts her the powers of Painted Lady. "No, I'm not going out, but I… er… Well, it's just that what I was wearing today at school looked stupid, and it's not comfy anymore, so I wanted to change into something else."

Chiyu smiles slyly. "Oh, really? And that Blue Spirit will probably show up tonight has nothing to do with this?"

Katara's eyes widen, as she blushes. "What?" she shrieks. "Pf, why would I care if Blue comes tonight or not?" She laughs hysterically.

Chiyu only gives her the "I-don't-believe-a-word-you're-saying"-look.

Katara glares at her. "What? I'm serious! You know I like Zuko!"

Chiyu frowns a little. "Are you sure? You acted differently around him lately, more confidently. You didn't stutter for one week now."

Katara frowns and her mouth pouts. "I'm just getting more confident and more used to him, that's all." She nods to herself. Yep, she's still in love with Zuko. With the most handsome boy in her class, nonsense, in her whole school, in the whole city! Zuko is so kind and sweet, although he doesn't want to show it. He's so dramatically heroic sometimes and always serious, his smile is so sweet, especially since he smiles so seldom, and when he does it lights up his whole face! And Blue doesn't mean anything to her. They are just friends.

"Well, you know, Katara… You can like more than just one boy," Chiyu says.

Katara narrows her eyes, then turns around to her wardrobe to search for her ugliest and least flattering top. "Pff! I don't like Blue! I don't need a better outfit!"

She quickly puts on the wide, bulky top in light lilac, which doesn't suit her at all. Lilac makes her pale, and the fabric scratches, but at least it doesn't look like she wants to impress anyone.

There's a knock on her trapdoor.

"Ah!" Katara screeches, and quickly runs her hands through her hair, but stops then. Oh shit, she has to make them look stupid. "Uah!" Spinning on her heel, she turns around to her chest of drawers, and quickly grabs a hair tie, and makes a bun at the side of her head. Then she grabs her hair pin and puts it somewhere in her hair. Ha, she doesn't care how she looks like. At all.

She swallows one last time, then climbs up to the trapdoor and opens it. There's no need to take a deep breath. Blue is just a friend, nothing more.

He bends over her trapdoor, looking at her. "Hey."

She takes a shaky breath. "Hi. Uh, come in."

He raises his eyebrows, but follows her.

A few seconds later, they stand in her room, staring at each other, both not really knowing what to do.

Katara smiles, presses her lips together, then licks her lips. She has no idea what to do. She just hopes she doesn't look appealing. She doesn't want him to want to kiss her again.

She's in love with Zuko! Not with her partner in her side job, with this shady, flirty, stupid spirit, whose grin is so white and full of fangs and not the least bit attractive.

He raises his hand to scratch his head. "Uh… About yesterday…"

"Yeah, that was…"

"I don't… like you that way," he starts, grimacing.

"Yes! I don't like you like that either," Katara quickly says, smiling nervously.

Blue nods and steps closer. "Great, so…"

"Want a mochi? They are filled with spicy mango." Katara grabs the plate from her desk and holds it out to him.

He grins at her, this typical, flirty, reckless smile he graces Painted Lady and everyone else with. "Sure." He walks closer to her and takes a cookie from her plate, putting it in his mouth. "Thanks again for making them smaller. It's not easy to get them into my mouth with the fangs in the way."

She nods. Well, his fangs didn't bother her when he kissed her. They felt very good actually. His mouth moves, as he chews on the mochi. Katara swallows.

oOo

Zuko's eyes widen, as he notices that Katara is staring at his lips. Shit, this has an effect on him he doesn't want to feel! He keeps munching slowly on the mochi, which is really delicious, Katara makes the best mochis, while he wonders how he can get out of this.

She just said she doesn't like him like that. Then why is she staring at his lips now? And why do her lips open? Wait, is he staring at her lips now?

Zuko can feel his mouth go dry and his knees start to wobble at the thought of kissing her again. It felt so good last time, and she really is the best person he knows, and suddenly he feels this pull and his stomach flutters, and this is all too much. He can't deal with this situation.

Katara puts the plate on her desk, then turns back to look at him and smiles.

Zuko takes a deep breath, steps forward and clasps her face in his hands. Her eyes widen, but she doesn't struggle. His lips open slowly, as his hormonal teenage body screams at him to finally kiss this beautiful, wonderful, funny, intelligent, and kind girl. All thoughts about Painted Lady vanish, as he leans closer. Their lips touch slightly, and he curls his fingers into her hair, as he pulls her closer, kisses her more deeply. Spirits, her lips feel like heavenly softness. She wraps her arms around his neck, as she presses herself closer to him. Groaning, he opens his mouth to kiss her fully.


	25. Chapter 25

**Day 25: Forced to Share a Hotel Room**

Since she saw the road sign telling them there is a village ahead, Katara couldn't slow down. She's almost running now.

For six days they've been wandering through this goddamn forest, and she's had enough. She thinks that living in the Fire Nation Palace for the last two years probably made her unaccustomed to the wilderness. Living in the woods was once part of her life, but now she really misses her warm, soft bed and showers! At least, Zuko has been kind enough to warm the water around them, when they had to take a bath, but bathing with her friend in her underwear is strange, and she doesn't get really clean.

The village is basically just a row of houses standing on both sides of the road.

"Oh no," Zuko complains.

"What is it?" Katara wants to know.

"It doesn't look like a place that could help us somehow."

"Wouldn't any village here be willing to help the Fire Lord?" Katara asks, frowning at him.

He grimaces. "Those people are peasants. I don't think they even care much about who rules their country or not. I doubt they would even believe us claiming to be the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador and the Fire Lord."

Katara crosses her arms and now scowls at him. "Wow, and I always thought you only insult other nation's people as peasants. Guess you're not racist after all. Only a snob."

Zuko narrows his eyes at her, as she smiles sweetly. Well, he deserved it. He can't keep calling normal people, even farmers, peasants. It's not nice. And the Fire Lord needs a nice image.

She grabs his arm and pulls him further with her. "Let's just tell them we need help then, but not tell them who we are."

The smell of fried meat soon meets Katara's nose, and she follows the smell to one of the bigger houses.

The few children playing in the street, stop laughing as Katara walks by, dragging Zuko along with her. The kids stop moving and stare at them with wide eyes, as do the few adults who are around.

Katara doesn't feel all too well, as their stares bore into her skin, but she keeps going anyway.

The house from which the smell of meat comes from seems to be a butcher's shop, not a restaurant like Katara hoped.

"Hello?" she calls, as soon as Zuko and she stand inside of the shop.

There isn't much meat presented here, and none is fresh, most of it is smoked or preserved in other ways. The room is really small, painted in red with dark furniture, as is pretty common in the Fire Nation.

A broad built, small, young woman comes in from a door leading to the back of the house.

She smiles, but her smile dies as soon as she notices she doesn't know the people in her shop. "Hello?" she greets them and asks what the heck they're doing here at the same time.

Katara raises her eyebrows. "Hi, uh, I'm sorry, but I have to make a big request. My friend and I were only passing through, when we were ambushed by bandits. They took away everything we had. We only managed to escape with our lives, and we've been wandering through the wilderness since. Can you help us?"

The woman's smile reappears, this time full of compassion. "Aw, you poor souls! Of course, of course! Oh, you look awful, so skinny!" She waddles closer, grabs Katara's and Zuko's arm with more force Katara would have thought she has, and pulls them behind the counter to the door she just came out of. "You two need a real meal! I'll make you some hippo beef rice!" She sniffs. "Oh, and a bath wouldn't do any harm to either of you."

Katara frowns. She thinks they smell alright for six days not having any access to soap. But maybe she only got used to the smell of wood and earth.

Oh, but hippo beef rice sounds fantastic!

"Thank you very much! That is more than we would have asked of you," Zuko replies to the woman, as she sits them down in a kitchen that looks like it's part of the actual house of the family who lives here.

"Nonsense! I cannot let you go without a warm meal and a bath!" She smiles widely. "Unfortunately, our tiny village doesn't have an inn, and the extra room we have is taken, but son left a few months ago to work in the capital!" She says it like it's the biggest event that ever happened here recently.

Wait. That woman has a son old enough to go and work? Katara thought the woman was in her twenties, but she must be already in her thirties, if her son is that old. Katara's impressed. Maybe she can ask later about the woman's trick to look younger.

"So we have a free bedroom in which you two can sleep tonight. It's a tiny room, but you two are so thin from starving in the woods, I think you'll manage."

Katara's eyes widen, as she can see how Zuko's cheeks dust with pink. "Uh, no, we can't!" she screeches, and then clears her throat to say it again in a normal pitched voice.

"Why not?" the woman asks, sounding confused.

Zuko looks away and lets Katara explain. Great. "We're just friends. We can't sleep in one bed."

The woman looks pretty disapprovingly at Katara. "From what crazy town are you from, girl? Of course you can sleep in one bed. Even if you'll touch, don't tell me you never hugged?"

Katara blinks. "B-but it's inappropriate."

The woman rolls her eyes. "Nonsense! It' like cuddling!" She cracks a smile. "Besides, any woman would like having someone like him sleeping in one bed with her."

Zuko blinks. "Uh…"

"B-but it's not like that between us!" Katara screeches again. _Urgh, talk normally!_ "We're just friends," she repeats in a deeper voice. "And yes, he's handsome, but I don't think about him like that!"

Zuko flushes so much his whole face has the colour of his scar.

"Uh…" Did Katara just say she finds him handsome? Now she flushes. That's even worse. She can't sleep with her friend she considers handsome in one tiny bed! If he'd be ugly, that would probably be easier, but even if he'd be ugly, he still would be he, and he always makes her feel nervous!

"Don't be such a prude," the woman laughs. "You'll sleep here, that's final. Can't have you poor souls sleeping in the woods again, now, can I?" She doesn't wait for a reply, only turns around, singing: "I'm going to make the hippo beef rice now!"

"I can sleep on the floor. You can have the bed," Zuko says, staring at the table.

If Katara didn't know better she'd think he's being shy. "No. You were hurt by those thieves way more than I was. You shouldn't sleep on the floor."

Zuko raises his eyebrows. "I'm fine now thanks to you."

Katara frowns, but lets it be, for now. He'll see who's winning this in the evening.

The hippo beef rice tastes like the best cooking Katara ever had. The flavours are marvellous, and she's delighted. Better than that is only the hot bath she can enjoy later. She's completely naked, alone, the water is hot everywhere and not just close to Zuko, and her stomach feels comfortably full. She sighs in bliss.

Zuko doesn't take as long as her.

When she's finished braiding her hair, he's already done bathing. Maybe he doesn't like water.

The woman guides them to her son's tiny room with the large bed in it.

Katara looks at Zuko, who looks back.

Well, this is a bed in which two people definitely fit in comfortably. It's okay sharing it then.

"How come your son had such a large bed?" Zuko asks, and Katara glares at him. One doesn't ask questions like that!

"Oh, he was such a womaniser, always bringing girls home with him, since he was eight!" The woman laughs heartily. "You don't wanna know what this bed was put through! Good night, sleep well!" Waving, she walks away down the hall.

Katara stares at the bed in horror, as if only its experience might infect her with inappropriate thoughts. Swallowing, she turns her head to look at Zuko, who grimaces.

She grimaces back.


	26. Chapter 26

**Day 26: Rainstorm**

Shivering, he rubs his arms, concentrating on his breath and inner fire to get warm again. After a while, he even manages to steam himself dry.

He's still cold, but at least not wet anymore.

Zuko presses himself against the wall of the tiny cave, pulling his legs close so that his feet won't get wet from the rain.

He pushes his hair out of his eyes, as a slender silhouette suddenly darkens the entrance to the cave.

Zuko sits up fast, but doesn't have time to drop into a fighting stance, as the girl in the entrance pulls the water from the heavy rain behind her and slams it onto his chest. He's pushed up against the wall, and the water cools down and hardens to ice, holding him up there.

She steps closer, and the shadows of the cave engulf her, so he can see her face now.

Zuko's eyes widen in shock. Her blue clothes and her face are very distinctive. Her braid is loosened, and her face is contorted in anger

"Zuko?!" she asks, sounding shocked and disgusted.

He scowls. He doesn't like the way she's addressing him. It's so informal.

"You? Leave me alone!" he snarls, as he heats up his body to melt the ice.

She walks in closer, then bends the water from her clothes and body away, outside of the cave. "I need shelter from the rain."

"You're a waterbender!" he growls.

"But that's a storm! The wind is very strong!" she complains.

He scowls at her. "Then go look for another cave!"

She crosses her arms under her chest. "There's no other cave here. I'll stay here, until the rain is over." She sits down against the wall, inches away from him.

With a growl, he breaks free of the ice and jumps down, lunging for her. Before she can bend another water stream at him, he grabs her wrists and holds her down.

Her chest rises quickly under his, as her wide blue eyes stare into his own.

"Don't be such a jerk, Zuko. Let me stay here," she says, almost softly.

He narrows his eyes at her. "Fine. But that doesn't mean I'm not still angry. We'll just have a truce, until the storm dies down."

She nods, and he suddenly notices in what kind of position he's lying on top of her. His cheeks flush, as he quickly retreats.

Katara sits up and dusts her clothes off.

Zuko watches her warily. He knows she might attack him again, but she only stares equally warily at him. So she still doesn't trust him. That's fine. When the storm is over, and he won't have hurt her, she might decide to give him a chance.

He rolls his eyes. Usually, he isn't into hopeful thinking at all. Katara won't trust him because of a few minutes of sitting next to each other in a cave. Even though he really would like that to happen. He has tried to recreate the connection they had under Ba Sing Se, but Katara always pushes him back, or walks away, pretending to have something very important to do.

Sighing, he looks back to the entrance. He knows she doesn't trust him, but he also knows that she won't hurt him now. So he just has to wait for the sun to shine again.


	27. Chapter 27

**Day 27: Heartbeat**

"Hey, Katara! Wanna see my new waterbending trick?" Aang shouts across the living room of Zuko's beach house, interrupting Katara's chat with Zuko.

Toph raises an eyebrow in interest, when she feels Katara's heartbeat slowing down, as she turns around to look at Aang.

Zuko's heartbeat, on the other hand, actually starts to beat faster.

Toph narrows her eyes. Huh, what could that mean?

She hasn't seen Katara and Zuko in a few years, and hasn't known for a long time what is going on with them. Aang, Suki, and Sokka are all in Cranefish Town, which is relatively close to Yu Dao, so she has seen them frequently.

Toph knows that Katara lives in the Fire Nation since a few months, but given how nomadic her lifestyle was before, Toph doesn't think Katara will stay here forever.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Later, okay?" Katara answers Aang's question.

He grins at her with a thumb's up, then resumes his task to beat Sokka at forming animals from water melon pulp.

Zuko's heartbeat slows down again, while Katara's speeds up, as she glances back at Zuko. They sit next to each other on a couch, both turned towards each other and leaned forward in each other's directions. Zuko emanates a calm and peaceful sensation through the ground, while Katara feels as if she would start to hyperventilate at any moment. Her heartbeat is going crazy.

Toph smirks. Hopefully, it really is what it looks like. She didn't have a lot of opportunities to tease her friends lately. Of course, teasing Sokka and Suki is off limits, since their relationship has a break, and Toph is not an asshole. And teasing Aang about all the girls who flush and wave, whenever he walks by, is just too easy. Besides, she suspects him to get used to all the admiration, and she doesn't want him to turn arrogant.

"Oi Sweetness! How long do you plan on staying in the Fire Nation?!" Toph shouts from her position in the large armchair. She leans back, crosses her arms and legs and waits for their reactions.

Both heartbeats speed through the ceiling.

"Uh… I don't know," Katara says in a higher pitch than usual. "It depends on… certain things."

"Aren't you tired of travelling so much? You're not the nomad, that's Aang. I thought you always wanted to settle down for a home and all that boring stuff." Toph cocks her head to the side and frowns as if she were worried. Which she is. She doesn't think that this lifestyle is fit for Katara. It can only change and harden her, and Toph doesn't want that. She'd rather have the soft and warm Katara who still believes in destiny and true love and all that crap. Not that Toph would let anyone know that.

Katara twists her mouth, then shrugs.

Zuko's heart practically screams "Stay here!".

"Yeah, sure. I… just don't know where and with whom," Katara's heartbeat quickens a little, "and how. I don't know what to do yet. You all found your place, and I want that, too. I want to be needed somewhere."

Toph almost snorts at the disgusting heartbeat pattern which comes from Zuko. It's so desperately screaming "I need you!".

"Well, you can stay here as long as you want to," says Zuko, finally choosing to join the conversation.

Katara turns towards him, her heart almost beating out of her chest. "Really?" she whispers.

Toph rolls her eyes. Girl, be a bit less obvious, would you?

"Of course," Zuko answers quickly, sitting up straighter. "And your presence here helped me a lot in the last months. You have such good ideas how to better the life of my people."

Katara's heartbeat is so strong that Toph is sure Katara is flushing.

"Thank you," Sugar Queen says softly and grabs Zuko's hand to squeeze it.

Zuko almost has a heart attack.

Toph rolls her eyes. Okay, that's getting disgusting. She thought it might be more fun to mess with their crushes… But maybe it makes Toph a bit happy that her friends seem happy, too.

Later that night, she regrets her choices. Katara and Zuko are both in the kitchen, apparently it was a coincidence, but Toph felt how Zuko listened and followed Katara down there, when she left her room.

Toph isn't able to sleep with all of these vibrations coming from down there. She groans and rolls her eyes. Well, as long as it's only vibrations and not disgusting noises yet, she should be fine.


	28. Chapter 28

_Hi everyone! _

_This is set in the Dragon Catacombs, which Zuko visits in the episode in which he finds out about Roku being his grandfather. The Dragon Catacombs are also visited by Zuko, Aang, and Mai in the comic "Shadow and Smoke". _

_I hope you'll enjoy reading! _

_I don not own Avatar the Last Airbender._

* * *

**Day 28: Ancient **

"Why are we going down here again?" Katara asks, disgust obvious in her voice.

Zuko tries not to sigh too loudly. "It's a tradition."

"That doesn't mean you have to do it," Katara answers, sounding sassy like a child.

"You wouldn't say this if it was about a Southern Water Tribe tradition," Zuko mumbles, while stepping further down on the circular stairs.

Katara clings to Zuko's arm, because there are no torches, since only firebenders come down here. Zuko first walked ahead of her, but she said she couldn't see a thing. Then he tried to walk behind her, but his fire wasn't big enough to illuminate the way in front of her. So she tries to squish herself next to him on the small stairs.

"But in the Southern Water Tribe this crypt would have ice walls and only be made of ice. There wouldn't be this stench in the air and no little insects living in the walls." She sniffs, as she presses further against Zuko to get away from the wall.

"You can take a bath afterwards," Zuko says in a deadpan voice, not being able to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He really loves his wife, but lately she's driving him crazy, complaining about everything and everyone, trying to change everything and everyone around her, even him. Ursa said it is called nesting, and Katara would only try to make everything great for the baby's arrival, but Zuko doesn't see how changing ancient Fire Nation traditions would make the time after the birth safer for their child. And the dangerous and stupid and murderous traditions were all already forbidden by him ages ago. Like Agni Kais or killing dragons.

"Can you wash me?" Katara whines, pouting at him, making puppy eyes.

Zuko's mouth begins to form a smile.

"Because you'll need a bath, too. You reek of this stupid oil you poured on your hair earlier." She sniffs again and tugs at his hair, loosening his topknot.

"Katara, stop that!" he snarls and pushes her hands away. "That oil is important for contacting the spirits! I told you that!"

"It still reeks."

Zuko closes his eyes and counts down from ten. He should have given her a sleep potion, before bringing her along. This way, he wouldn't have to listen to her constant nagging. Maybe he'll do this tomorrow, when they have to visit the Dragon Temple.

Katara sighs dramatically. "I'm sorry for being so annoying. I don't even know why. Honouring and praying to our ancestors is something we do in the Water Tribes, too, after all."

"We don't pray to them," Zuko objects. His council would be horrified if they knew that their Fire Lady didn't even know this about the Fire Nation.

"Okay, and we don't put their bodies in dark and ugly caves. This place seriously gives me the creeps," she says lowly.

Zuko frowns, as they take the last step of the stairs, now heading for the Fire Lords' tombs. "I admit it's not a nice place, but we don't have to live here, Katara." He gives her the look he always gives her when she's exaggerating about the beauty or ugliness of something. She's not a very objective person. After all, she thinks he's handsome, because she's in love with him. If she weren't, she certainly wouldn't think that.

"I know that!" she snaps. "But…" Suddenly, she sounds very down.

He turns around to look at her more closely. She's staring at the ground, chewing on her lower lip.

"What if your ancestors give you a sign that they are not okay with me having your baby? I'm not from the Fire Nation, I'm a waterbender, and…" She trails off, squeezing his arm hurtfully in her worry.

Zuko's heart makes a few hurting beats, before he clasps her face in his hands to stare into her eyes. "Nothing what these old, dead monarchs could think would ever make me not be happy with you! Even if there were crystal clear signs I wouldn't care. This is mostly a formality. I'd like them to give their approval, but if they are not okay with this, screw them." He presses his forehead against hers. "You're driving me crazy lately, but I love you, Katara. I always will. And I don't care what element you bend, and I won't care what element our child will bend. I love the element you wield, simply because it's yours." A smug smile appears on his lips. "And since I rule this nation, you don't have to worry about anyone else's approval. I approve of you, regardless what anyone else might think. Ancestors or not."

He pulls her closer to press his lips against hers. He can feel her mouth smile and taste the salty water of tears. Katara is always emotional, but the pregnancy transformed her into a sobbing fountain.

But now, he doesn't care. Wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, he only feels glad to know that his words touched her so much. He is glad to know that he can make her so happy she has to cry with just a few words. It almost makes him cry, too.

She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer to kiss him nearly aggressively. Zuko makes a surprised, but very pleased noise.

They probably offend his ancestors with what they do next, but none of them cares what these old, dead monarchs think.

* * *

_Pooh, this is the second last story I'll write for Zutara Month 2020. I'm actually getting a bit nostalgic right now. I hope you all enjoyed my stories so far! Please let me know if you did or didn't! _


	29. Chapter 29

_Hey everyone! _

_I'm sorry for being late. Now there's no place on this planet in which it is still the 29th. But I had a terrible headache yesterday and couldn't even look at a computer screen. _

_The following is set in the Miraculous inspired AU to come back to what I wrote on the first day of Zutara Month. _

_I hope you'll enjoy reading!_

_I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender, nor Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. _

* * *

**Day 29: Crown**

"Stop right there!" Katara hears Zuko shouting behind her.

Bewildered, she turns around to see him standing at the edge of the playground at the foot of a large oak, his head in his neck and staring up into the tree branches.

Katara follows his gaze and sees Ryuto climbing high up in the tree. She grimaces and looks back at the twins in distress. Does Zuko need help or does he have Ryuto under control?

She rolls her eyes. Zuko rarely has Ryuto under control, and it's mostly up to her to solve the problem. It's not easy to bring Ryuto to the playground when they're all going, since the girls are still a little bit too young to climb and slide in Zuko's opinion. Katara thinks sliding would be okay, if one of them would wait at the end, but Zuko is worried the girls might just fall down from above.

"Ryuto!" she hears Zuko snarling now. "I'm counting to three!"

This never works. Ryuto is in this phase in which everything the parents are doing and saying needs to be tested. Zuko is always too soft with Ryuto, but Katara understands why that is so. After everything what Ozai did to Zuko, he doesn't want to make the same mistakes with his children, and is very careful. Katara often tells Zuko not to worry, because he would never do anything to hurt his children, and they were more important to him than anything else.

After having Ryuto, Katara had confessed to Zuko that she would always put their children before him, but that it doesn't mean she doesn't love him. She loves their children because of him, too. But Zuko actually smiled broadly and said he only loved her more for putting their children before him. And he confessed he felt the same way, which only made her love him more. Katara felt more confused in the end, just as Zuko, too. Being parents was so confusing in the beginning.

Sometimes she couldn't really grasp that she was married to the boy she crushed on when she was fourteen, fell in love with when she was fifteen (but she hadn't known it was him, because he had only approached her in his Blue Spirit form), again when she was sixteen (this time as Zuko), and hadn't ever stopped loving him since.

Their time together was rough and difficult. Others had loved one of them, and sometimes Katara hadn't been quite sure if she really belonged to Zuko. He can be a pain in the ass, after all.

She smiles, as she watches Zuko shouting "Two!" up the tree. Ryuto won't climb back down, even if Zuko would yell "Three hundred!".

Well, but Zuko is her pain in the ass, and she wouldn't trade him for anyone else.

Sighing, she looks at Kya and Izumi, who slurp their fruit juice. They are peaceful, and Zuko can handle them better.

"Zuko! Trade!" Katara turns around and shouts at her husband.

Some parents turn around to stare at her.

Zuko frowns at her. "No!" he hisses. "I'm very close to get him to listen to me." He holds his fingers apart from each other in a tiny distance.

Katara scoffs. "Yeah, sure. Come on, you can tickle the girls a bit. They'd love to see your stupid faces. Let me handle Ryuto!"

Zuko's eyes narrow at her, and she sighs. She really shouldn't have said this.

"Thank you, but I can handle our son just as fine as you, thank you very much!" He turns around pointedly, but scratches his hair, and Katara knows that he has no idea what to do next.

Katara throws a glance back at Izumi and Kya, then walks closer to Zuko, when he suddenly turns around, his gaze sheepish. "Could you watch all three for a few minutes, please?" he asks.

Katara frowns. "What? Where are you going?"

"Just getting something that will help me getting Ryuto off the tree," he replies and already walks backwards.

"Zuko, this better not be some attempt at getting away from Ryuto," she warns.

He looks very offended at the pure suggestion he would go away from a challenge. "Do you even know me, wife?" he asks, then turns around and jogs away.

Katara sighs. This better doesn't take long or it will be up to her to get Ryuto down from the tree crown.

"Oi, Ryuto!" she yells up at him.

"Hey, Mama! You're so tiny from up here!" her life-endangered son shouts back.

She stems her hands on her hips and quickly glances over her shoulder to look at Izumi and Kya. They are still sitting on the blanket in the sand, but started getting the colouring books out of the blue bag. They will be occupied with this for a while. They like to compete in who does the best colouring.

Frowning, she looks back at Ryuto who is really high up in the tree. Maybe it was okay for Zuko to get so worked up. She always tries to stay calm so that Zuko won't do something overly dramatic, but of course she really worries for Ryuto, too.

This isn't even the first time they get into a situation like this with Ryuto. He's always reckless, searches danger, never knows when something is enough. He's very like his father, which is probably why Zuko has such a problem getting through to the boy.

"Ryuuto, if you don't come back down here in thirty seconds, Izumi will have your sandwich! She already asked for seconds!" she shouts, just when a figure from the edge of the playground jumps in a frightening speed high up into the tree. Katara's eyes widen. What the blizzard?

The figure lands in the tree, and Katara can see clearly one extremity too many. Something sticks out of the shoulders next to the head. Katara narrows her eyes, and sees that this "extremity" is a sheath for swords. She sighs, when she recognises the white hair and dark blue, almost black clothes.

So Zuko transformed into Blue Spirit to get their son down to the ground. He normally wouldn't transform for something like this, but Katara feels a little thankful about it, because who knows what could happen to Ryuto if he tries to climb down all on his own.

"Isn't that Blue Spirit?" a woman behind Katara shouts, pointing at the tree crown.

Katara scowls. Great. Now everyone noticed him and a video about Blue Spirit saving a child will get viral.

More parents and children come running in Katara's direction, staring up at the branches.

Zuko is now close to Ryuto and seems to talk to him.

The kids don't know about Zuko's and Katara's other identities. They are still too young to grasp it and definitely too young to keep quiet about it.

Zuko seems to grab Ryuto, who holds onto him, as Zuko jumps down onto another branch, and then uses his swords as propeller to slowly soar to the ground.

Katara runs towards them.

"Mama, look! Blue Spirit!" Ryuto shouts, cheeks red from excitement. He still clings to his father who sheathes his swords. "Dad knows him!"

Katara raises her eyebrows and pulls Ryuto away from Zuko. "Oh, really?"

Zuko cocks his head to the side. "You're his mum?"

Katara tries not to grin. "Yes, why?"

"It's just that you're very hot for a mum," he says, grinning to show his fangs.

Katara frowns. "I'm married, idiot!"

Zuko chuckles. "I love this answer."

Katara takes a deep breath to stop herself from reaching for him. She wishes she could kiss him right now.

He seems to know what she's thinking, because his gaze drops to her lips. He reaches out in her direction, and Katara can't do anything to stop him. But he only ruffles Ryuto's hair, who grins up to him. Katara adjusts Ryuto's weight on her hip.

"Stay out of dangerous situations, alright? And listen to your father next time, hm?" Zuko asks.

Ryuto grins and nods enthusiastically. "Okay."

Zuko takes a step back, now smiling in a satisfied way.

Katara raises an eyebrow at him. That's also a way to get Ryuto to do what he wants. The only people Ryuto adores just as much as his family are Blue Spirit and Painted Lady. He loves superheroes in general.

The people behind Katara come closer, lots of them filming now and asking loud questions.

Zuko grimaces at Katara in an apologetic way, before he turns around and leaves the playground.

Katara sighs, before she quickly fights her way through the crowd to get to Kya and Izumi. The girls didn't even notice the commotion and are still happily lying on the blanket and drawing.

Kya looks up at Katara and smiles. "Hey, Mama!"

Izumi isn't looking up from her drawing, her eyebrows are contorted in concentration. "Hi," she mutters.

Katara smiles and sits down with Ryuto. "Wanna have your sandwich now?" she asks.

He nods, glaring at Izumi, obviously not having forgotten Katara's threat from earlier.

Ryuto munches on his sandwich and Katara peels a mango, when Zuko finally returns. A stupid smile is plastered on his face, and Katara wonders how she could have ever considered him cool. Zuko is a lot of great things, but there are very little things about his civilian life which are cool.

She loves his awkward, dorky, serious, and sweet self even more.

"Dad!" Ryuto stands up and runs towards his father. "Dad, Dad, Dad! You know Blue Spirit!" Ryuto collides with Zuko's legs and looks up at him.

Zuko grins a little. "Yep. He… saved my life once. And he was very close to your mother."

Katara rolls her eyes.

"Really?" gasps Ryuto.

Zuko picks him up and takes him back to the blanket to sit down. He leans over to give Katara a kiss. "So you fought off Blue Spirit, I heard?" he murmurs.

Katara lays a hand on Zuko's leg. "Yep. There were people watching."

Zuko chuckles in an amused way, and Katara gives him a kiss.

Their children don't pay attention to them, still focused on drawing and sandwiches.

"What if there wouldn't have been people?" Zuko whispers into her ear.

"Then I would have still fought him off," Katara answers, then glances towards him and cracks a grin. "But not for long."

* * *

_So that's it! Zutara Month 2020 is over and with it my first Zutara Month! I hope you all enjoyed and liked what I wrote! Thank you all for reading and thanks to Guest and FictionallyFun for reviewing! _

_Til next time! :D _


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